US Secretary of State: We do not support Israeli operations in Rafah that do not protect civilians

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, who traveled to Israel, emphasized on Wednesday, April 12, that he has not yet seen a plan for Israel's planned attack on the city of Rafah that would protect civilians, reiterating that Washington cannot support such an attack. Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for two and a half hours in Jerusalem on Wednesday, after which Israel reiterated that the Rafah operation would continue despite the US position and a warning from the United Nations that such an attack would lead to a 'tragedy.' During this meeting, Blinken attempted to pressure Netanyahu to facilitate the delivery of more aid to Gaza. At the same time, he urged the Palestinian group Hamas to accept a proposed agreement that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. The US Secretary of State told reporters, 'In the absence of an effective plan to ensure that civilians will not be harmed, we cannot support major military operations in Rafah, and we will not support them.' Blinken emphasized that there are other and better ways to address the 'Hamas challenge,' asserting that such methods do not include major military operations in Rafah. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that his country would proceed with military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza even if an agreement is reached with Hamas regarding a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. Additionally, 57 out of 212 Democratic members of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to do everything possible to dissuade the Israeli Prime Minister from a comprehensive attack on the Rafah area in Gaza. Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took about 253 hostages in a terrorist attack on October 7, which marked the beginning of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.