Antony Blinken visits Israel in order to demonstrate US support and seek deterrence

Following an assault and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas terrorists, an Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, and a larger battle erupting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for Israel on Wednesday.

Blinken was scheduled to meet with top Israeli officials, potentially including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to consider bolstering military assistance in a show of unity with Washington’s closest Middle Eastern partner.

Before boarding a flight for Israel, Blinken told reporters, “I’m going with a very simple and clear message… that the United States has Israel’s back.”

More than 100 individuals, some of whom Israel claims to be American citizens, are being held hostage by Hamas, and he will engage with regional friends of the United States to attempt to obtain their release.

Blinken, the senior American ambassador, left the country when Israel established an emergency unity government. An inquiry for comments was not immediately answered by the US State Department.

Over the weekend, Hamas terrorists ransacked Israeli cities, murdering 1,200 people and abducting a large number of captives for Gaza.

According to Blinken, at least 22 Americans died in the incident.

“That number could still go up, and it probably will,” Blinken said, noting that American authorities were coordinating with Israeli colleagues to find out what had become of other American citizens who were still missing.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel responded with airstrikes that have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 individuals. According to the Israeli military, its soldiers have killed at least 1,000 Palestinian militants who smuggled themselves into Gaza.

With a ground assault in Gaza anticipated, Blinken was asked whether Washington had urged Israel to use moderation in its reaction. He said that Israel respects international law and strives to minimize civilian losses.

“We know that Israel will take all of the precautions that it can, just as we would, and again that’s what separates us from Hamas and terrorist groups that engage in the most heinous kind of activities,” Blinken said.

For Blinken, preventing the outbreak of a larger conflict will be a primary objective. This message of deterrence will mostly be directed at Iran and Iranian-backed organizations like Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Since Hamas and Israel went to war, Hezbollah has proceeded cautiously, keeping Israeli soldiers busy with strikes along the Lebanese border but without creating a large front, according to individuals familiar with its thinking.

After a new rocket launch by Iran-backed Hezbollah on Wednesday, Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanese towns sparked a fourth day of violence along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

IN BLINKEN TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT, THERE IS NO WEST BANK VISIT

Blinken has telephone conversations ongoing with his colleagues in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates since Saturday. According to American officials, Washington is pressuring regional nations that have sway over Hamas and other anti-Israel organizations to assist in preventing the situation from escalating.

“The attack by Hamas is a reminder of the perception of an American absence or lack of commitment to the region that some actors might interpret and do things they should not be doing,” said Alex Vatanka, head of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute.

On Wednesday, Biden referred to the Hamas assault as “sheer evil,” reiterated American support for Israel, and seemed to offer a warning to Iran and Iranian-backed organizations not to take advantage of the conflict: “I have one word: Don’t.”

The West Bank, which is controlled by Israel, was not included in Blinken’s itinerary. Blinken has been to the area before and has been to the West Bank, which is under the administration of the Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel has also vowed to keep food and gasoline out of Gaza while threatening to intensify the embargo there with a military invasion. Gaza has been under a blockade since Hamas took control in that region in 2007.

Another crucial issue that Blinken may bring up with his counterparts while on the trip is the notion of safe passage for people leaving Gaza, which Washington said it was negotiating with Israel and Egypt.

Biden has refrained from directly pleading with Israel to exercise restraint in order to prevent Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza. It was unknown whether Blinken would make such an argument when he talks with Israeli officials in a private setting.