The United States has not ruled out withholding more military support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas if Israel undertakes a major attack on Rafah, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Sunday.
“If Israel launches this major military operation in Rafah, then there are certain systems that we will not support or supply for that operation,” Blinken told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He did not give further details.
Last week, the White House imposed a delay in the delivery of 3,500 bombs due to concerns about potential harm to civilians in Rafah, where many Gazans have sought refuge since fighting began seven months ago. Blinken said those are the only weapons the United States has retained “at present.”
Two days after the State Department sent a report to Congress raising “substantial questions” about Israel’s efforts to protect civilians in Gaza, Blinken was circumspect in his criticism of Israel’s response to the Hamas-led attacks of the October 7.
The report raised the possibility that Israel may have violated international law, but avoided drawing conclusions about specific episodes. Blinken reiterated that point on Sunday, saying on “Face the Nation” that Israel has institutions to investigate, evaluate and “self-correct.”
In an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Blinken echoed the report’s conclusions and underscored Hamas’s responsibility for starting the conflict and the challenges its battlefield tactics pose to protecting civilians.
“Based on the totality of the damage that has been done to the children, women and men who are caught in this crossfire that Hamas is causing, it is reasonable to conclude that there are cases in which Israel has acted in ways that are not consistent with international standards. humanitarian law,” he stated.
He added that Israeli forces were operating in a “complex military environment,” with “an enemy that intentionally integrates with civilians hiding under and inside schools, mosques and apartment buildings.”