Israel has rejected the request from the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to temporarily stop the conflict in Gaza for humanitarian reasons.
Mr Blinken talked about the idea with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials when they met in Tel Aviv.
But in a TV statement a few minutes later, Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel refuses to accept a short-term pause in fighting that doesn’t include the freedom of our captured people.
He said that Israel was using all their strength to fight against Hamas.
The US government tried to help with diplomacy while Israeli military leaders said they surrounded Gaza City and were fighting in a complicated urban environment.
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Amani left her family in Gaza to go to school in the UK right before the war started. Now she is very worried as she keeps a close eye on something.
Israel started attacking after Hamas fighters killed 1,400 people in Israel and took more than 240 hostages. They used air force and ground forces in their attack.
Israel has attacked and caused the deaths of at least 9,200 people in Gaza, as reported by the health ministry run by Hamas.
During his trip to Tel Aviv, Mr Blinken expressed that the US will keep supporting Israel. He also asked Israel to take definite actions to ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians.
Mr Blinken said that today we discussed some important questions. These questions were about how to use a break in fighting to help more people in need, how to link the break to the freeing of hostages, and how to make sure that Hamas doesn’t take advantage of these breaks or agreements.
He observed that over 100 trucks with aid arrived in Gaza within the last day, even though they were not allowed before. However, he mentioned that this amount was still insufficient.
Mr Blinken visited the region for the second time in a month and mentioned that the US has been guiding Israel on reducing civilian casualties while also dealing with Hamas. And he said that they talked about practical steps to send more help, like fuel, to reach Gaza.
However, Mr Netanyahu strongly stated that he would not permit any fuel to enter the Gaza Strip. He has also refused any discussion about stopping the fighting.
The Israeli Prime Minister said that Israel will not agree to a temporary pause in fighting unless our hostages are released.
The US secretary of state said that Israel can only become more secure by forming a Palestinian state.
He said that the US has always believed in having two separate states for two different groups of people. Once again, this is the only way to guarantee long-term safety for Israel as a Jewish and democratic country.
During a press conference with the Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Mr. Blinken said that Israel has the responsibility to protect itself and make sure that the events of 7 October don’t occur again.
Mr Herzog mentioned that Israel is making big efforts to let people in Gaza know about airstrikes. He showed a pamphlet that is being dropped there, advising civilians to leave the northern area affected by the war.
While the two men were talking, some people outside were shouting through a loudspeaker on a street nearby. These people were the families of Israelis who had been kidnapped.
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Mr Herzog expressed sympathy for them, while Mr. Blinken mentioned that the US is constantly thinking about our hostages.
“We have a lot of people, including Israelis, Americans, and others, and we are committed to doing everything possible to bring them back safely to reunite with their families and loved ones,” he said.
White House officials talked to reporters on a conference call and said that Hamas was not allowing people from other countries to leave Gaza.
One of the officials said that it would take a long break in the Israeli offensive to have any chance of freeing the hostages.
Showing the political pressure that Mr. Biden is experiencing from the left-wing of his party, one Democratic representative criticized him harshly on Friday.
Rashida Tlaib, a congresswoman from Michigan, accused the president of not doing enough to stop the killing of Palestinian people and called it genocide. She is the only US lawmaker who has Palestinian heritage.
She said, “If you don’t support a ceasefire now, don’t expect us to support you in the 2024 election. ”
The person in charge of the United States’ foreign affairs is currently in Jordan. Jordan recently called back its ambassador from Israel.
This Saturday, the highest-ranking American diplomat will have a meeting with Arab leaders. These leaders have been speaking out more and more against Israel’s actions in Gaza.