From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Blinken again asks Israel to protect civilians after UN shelter attack
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renews calls for Israel to protect civilians after a deadly strike on a UN shelter in Gaza.
The US condemned the strike but avoided assigning blame, while Israel said it was probing the matter and checking whether it was caused by its grounds troops or an errant Hamas rocket.
Two tank shells struck the UN shelter Wednesday in Gaza’s main southern city of Khan Younis, killing 12 people, according to the United Nations.
On a visit to Angola, Blinken tells reporters that the UN shelter “is essential and it has to be protected.”
“We have reaffirmed this with the government of Israel, and it is my understanding that they are, as is necessary and appropriate, looking into this incident,” Blinken said, without saying at what level discussions took place.
The Israeli army is the only force known to have tanks operating in the Gaza Strip. It said it would conduct a “thorough review” and held out the possibility that the strike was a “result of Hamas fire.”
In contrast with Israel’s frequent criticism of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, Blinken credits the agency for its efforts “to help people who are in desperate need.”
“The work that the UN is performing in Gaza is quite literally life-saving and no one else can do it — and no one else is doing it,” he says.
The Times of Israel Community.