US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear on Friday that the United States is against any effort by Israel to take control of Gaza again. He also emphasized that the size of Gaza should not be made smaller. This statement was in response to a proposal from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu suggested that Israel’s military should have unlimited freedom to operate in Gaza once Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, is defeated.
Blinken reiterated the US support for Israel’s right to defend itself. This came after an attack by three Palestinians near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The attack resulted in the death of one person and the injury of eight others.
Palestinians have been facing increased restrictions imposed by Israel in the West Bank since the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began.
Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who is part of the far-right wing, called for a strong response to the attack in the West Bank. He proposed building thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements like Maale Adumim and in other parts of the West Bank.
However, Blinken expressed the US stance against the expansion of settlements. He stated that building new settlements is not helpful in achieving lasting peace and goes against international law. According to Blinken, such actions only weaken Israel’s security instead of strengthening it.
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