From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 16, 2023
State Department: Blinken updated Netanyahu on efforts to form coalition against Hamas
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
During their meeting earlier today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken updated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his shuttle diplomacy across the Middle East over the past four days aimed at building a coalition against Hamas, preventing malign actors from joining the war against Israel, ensuring access of humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and securing the release of the hostages in Gaza, the State Department says in its readout after the meeting.
Blinken “underlined his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’s terrorism and reaffirmed US determination to provide the Israeli government with what it needs to protect its citizens,” the State Department readout says.
