'Far too many' Palestinians killed in Gaza war, Blinken says
As the death toll mounts in Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Israel's daily pauses in operations but said more was needed to protect civilians.
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that “far too many” Palestinian civilians have died as a result of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas.
“Much more needs to be done to protect civilians and to make sure that humanitarian assistance reaches them,” Blinken told reporters in New Delhi at the end of a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Asia.
The top US diplomat said pauses in Israel's Gaza operations are a welcome step, but more is needed to minimize civilian casualties and ensure aid is reaching the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“Far too many Palestinians have been killed, far too many have suffered these past weeks, and we want to do everything possible to prevent harm to them and to maximize the assistance that gets to them.”
