US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a news conference on Friday after meeting with Israeli officials during his visit to the country.
In his remarks, Blinken said more needs to be done to protect civilians in Gaza and pushed for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the potential release of hostages being held by Hamas.
"Each of these efforts would be facilitated by humanitarian pauses, arrangements on the ground that increase security for civilians and permit more effective and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance. This was an important area of discussion today with Israeli leaders," Blinken said.
"We recognize this would take time to prepare and coordinate with international partners," he continued, noting that "a number of legitimate questions were raised today, how to use any period of pause to maximize flow of aid, how to connect pause to hostage release, how to ensure Hamas doesn't use pause to own advantage? We believe they can be solved."
Blinken stressed Israel's right and obligation to defend itself following the Hamas attack on October 7, stressing that this will remain the central tenet of the US approach to the war.
"It is striking and, in some ways, shocking that the brutality of the slaughter has receded so quickly in the memories of so many. Not in Israel and not in America," he stated.
Blinken also stressed the need for Israel to better ensure the protection of civilians in Gaza, warning, "There will be no partners for peace if they're consumed by humanitarian catastrophe and alienated by any perceived indifference to their plight."
"We've provided Israel advice that only the best of friends can offer on how to minimize civilian deaths while still achieving its objectives of finishing Hamas terrorists and their infrastructure of violence," added the Secretary of State.
“Palestinian civilians must not be protected only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank, where they are targeted by extremist violence. Violence must be stopped, and the culprits held accountable," said Blinken.
He also reiterated that the administration believes “the only way is for a two-state solution that will allow a free, Jewish, democratic Israel, and for Palestinians to realize their right to enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, opportunity, and dignity, and to end the cycle of violence once and for all."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)