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Source: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-press-availability-44/
U.S. Believes Israel Can Remove Hamas Threat, Minimize Civilian Casualties in Gaza
(U.S. State Department) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday: "In the conflict between Israel and Hamas, we will continue to focus intensely on our core priorities: helping Israel ensure that what happened on October 7th can never happen again, bringing the conflict to an end as quickly as possible while minimizing the loss of life and the suffering of civilians, getting the remaining hostages back home to their families, preventing the conflict from spreading, and once and for all breaking the devastating cycle of violence and moving toward durable, lasting peace." "We continue to believe that Israel does not have to choose between removing the threat of Hamas and minimizing the toll on civilians in Gaza. It has an obligation to do both and it has a strategic interest to do both." "Israel has been very clear, including as recently as today, that it would welcome returning to a pause and the further release of hostages. The problem was, and has been, and remains Hamas. They reneged on commitments that they made during the first pause for hostage releases." "As we've said from the outset, Israel has not only a right but an obligation to defend itself....Any other country in the world faced with what Israel suffered on October 7th would do the same thing."