Hamas attack not a ‘licence’ to dehumanize Palestinians, US tells Israel
“Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7… But that cannot be a license to dehumanize others,” Blinken told the media in Tel Aviv
The United States has made it abundantly clear that while the Hamas dehumanized Israelis on October 7, Israel must not dehumanize Palestinians in Gaza in retaliation.
The forthright message was given out by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he made his fifth visit to the region and the seventh to Israel since the Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israelis and abducted hundreds in October.
“Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7. The hostages have been dehumanized every day since. But that cannot be a license to dehumanize others,” Blinken told the media in Tel Aviv.
Gazans innocent
“The overwhelming majority of people in Gaza had nothing to do with the attacks of October 7, and the families in Gaza whose survival depends on deliveries of aid from Israel are just like our families.
“They’re mothers and fathers, sons and daughters – want to earn a decent living, send their kids to school, have a normal life. That’s who they are; that’s what they want.
“And we cannot, we must not lose sight of that. We cannot, we must not lose sight of our common humanity.”
Harsh message
Blinken’s was the strongest message yet from the United States to Israel to pause its relentless war on Gaza that has killed many thousands of people but with the Hamas still holding more than 200 hostages in the strip.
Blinken said the US was determined also to pursue a diplomatic path to a just and lasting peace, and security for all in the region, and notably for Israel.
The top diplomat also reiterated the need to set up a Palestinian state, which will exist alongside Israel.
Palestinian state
He said Washington wanted an Israel “that’s fully integrated into the region, with normal relations with key countries, including Saudi Arabia, with firm guarantees for its security, alongside a concrete, time-bound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel, with the necessary security assurances”.
Blinken said he had also discussed with the Israeli government the response Hamas had sent to the proposal that the US, Qatar, and Egypt had put together to bring home the remaining Israeli hostages.
“What I can tell you about these discussions is that while there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’s response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached. And we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.”
(With agency inputs)