Antony Blinken
“We’re not going to comment on remarks that may or may not have been made behind closed doors in sensitive diplomatic discussions,” the spokesman said.
The U.S. secretary of state addressed reporters at Al-Maktoum Airport Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The main focus of the leaked, unverified conversation was Israel’s war plans for the southern Gaza Strip.
“Throughout our careers, we often disagreed. And often strongly,” the U.S. president said, hours after U.S. Secretary of State Blinken released a much heftier statement.
The United States credits the Palestinian Authority for supposed “calm” in Judea and Samaria.
The Israeli prime minister thanked the top U.S. diplomat for his support “in the war of eliminating Hamas and securing the release of our hostages.”
The U.S. secretary of state added that “the events of Oct. 7 only further confirm” the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution.
The Israel Defense Forces revealed that Hamas was holding the bodies of three soldiers abducted on Oct. 7.
“This crisis that is unfolding in the Middle East is related potentially to the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” said Park Jin, the South Korean foreign minister.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office told JNS it was premature to discuss post-war scenarios.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about “concrete steps” to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza.
Abbas called for an immediate ceasefire and for additional aid to be allowed into Gaza.
