Blinken urges aid for civilians in Gaza as Israel vows to continue war
The secretary of state's visit to Israel coincides with Israeli military reports that their forces have encircled and penetrated Gaza City.
LEARN MOREPosted: 2:00 p.m. EDT Nov 4, 2023 Updated: 7:41 p.m. EDT Nov 4, 2023
At least eight rockets flew from Gaza into Israel, with the Israel Defense Forces telling the network they intercepted six of the eight rockets, according to reports by CNN.
The network, with access to Israeli forces in Gaza, reported that Israeli police stated they were "conducting extensive scans to locate possible rocket impact sites in the central region and Tel Aviv." However, no casualties or damages have been reported thus far.
The news comes after Israel admitted to targeting an ambulance near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Friday.
Fifteen people were killed and 60 others were injured in the air strike.
Israel claimed it targeted the ambulance because it was being used by Hamas.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society is now calling on the international community to intervene to protect civilians and medical teams from further attacks.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed that message after meeting with Israeli leaders on Friday. He said more needs to be done to protect Palestinian civilians and that they should not suffer the consequences of the actions of Hamas.
"When I see a Palestinian child—a boy, a girl—pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, that hits me in the gut as much as seeing a child in Israel or anywhere else," Blinken said.
But Blinken also continued to show support for Israel. On what was his fourth trip to the country since the attack, Blinken met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and the country's war cabinet.
On Saturday, Blinken attended a summit in Jordan with foreign ministers from several Arab nations. They're calling for an immediate cease-fire, but Blinken says a cease-fire would only help Hamas regroup for more attacks.
