US sends diplomat to urge calm as Israel, Hamas fighting escalates
Hady Amr, the top State Department official on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, will push for both sides to de-escalate.
The Biden administration is dispatching a senior diplomat to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as the fighting intensifies between Israel and militant group Hamas.
Hady Amr, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, will travel to the region immediately to press for calm, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Wednesday.
“He will urge on my behalf, and the behalf of President Biden, the de-escalation of violence," Blinken said, adding that the United States is “very focused” on resolving the conflict.
"We fully support Israel's legitimate right to defend itself. We've condemned, and I condemn again, the rocket attacks in the strongest possible terms,” Blinken said. "We believe Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live with safety and security."
