Israel has an obligation to do everything in its power to avoid harming or killing Palestinian civilians in its military response to last weekend's terrorist attacks, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
While President Joe Biden and top administration officials have repeatedly shared their support for Israel as their Middle Eastern ally reacts and responds to the terror attacks that claimed the lives of 1,200 people, the vast majority of whom were civilians, Blinken stressed the importance of taking "every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians" during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.
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"Israel has the right, the obligation to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again," the U.S. diplomat said. "As the prime minister and I discussed, how Israel does this matters. We democracies distinguish ourselves from terrorists by striving for a different standard, even when it's difficult. And holding ourselves to account when we fall short. Our humanity, the value that we place on human life and dignity, that’s what makes us who we are."
Whether the Israel Defense Forces are living up to that standard is already in question as it has launched hundreds of airstrikes into the small enclave of Gaza, killing more than 1,400 people and injuring over 6,200, according to the latest update from the Ministry of Health of Gaza.
"Our humanity, the value that we place on human life and dignity, that’s what makes us who we are," he added. "We count them among our greatest strengths. That’s why it’s so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians. That’s why we mourn the loss of every innocent life, civilians of every faith, every nationality, that have been killed."
Israel has blockaded Gaza, not allowing goods in from the Mediterranean Sea while also controlling what goes in by land through Israel. Israel also provides electricity, food, fuel, and water to the more than 2 million Gazan residents but has stopped doing so since the attacks. In one light, that could be considered collective punishment, which is barred under international law, but could also be viewed as not providing material and resources to an adversary.
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European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned on Tuesday that "a collective punishment against all Palestinians will be unfair and unproductive. It will be against our interest and against the interest of peace," according to CNN. "Israel has the right to defend, but it has to be done accordingly with international law, humanitarian law, and some decisions are counter to international law."
Israel’s energy minister, Israel Katz, said the country would not resume providing Gaza with electricity, water, and fuel until the roughly 100 to 150 hostages that terrorists took back to Gaza are returned. The well-being of the hostages is unknown, while a Hamas official has threatened to execute them and broadcast it online. The U.S. is assisting the Israelis in their attempts to safely secure their freedom.
"As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken. Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues. Families in Gaza are already having trouble accessing clean water. No parent wants to be forced to give a thirsty child dirty water," said Fabrizio Carboni, the regional director for the Near and Middle East for the International Committee of the Red Cross. "At the same time, Israeli families are worried sick about loved ones taken hostage. The taking of hostages is prohibited under international humanitarian law, and anyone being held should be immediately released."
The U.S. has provided Israel with air defense aid and munitions, the first of which have already arrived, and the U.S. government hasn't put any conditions on how to use the aid, according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
"We've not placed any conditions on the provision of this equipment. This is a professional military, led by professional leadership, and we would hope and expect that they would do the right things in the prosecution of their campaign," he said. "We will make sure that we will leave it to them to define what their operations are going to look like. But again, we have no reason to believe that they would do anything different."
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Roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed in the unprecedented and multi-faceted terrorist attacks last weekend. Roughly 250 people were murdered at a concert, while the terrorists also went to communities near the Gaza border and proceeded to slaughter hundreds more, including women and children. The IDF has said fewer than 200 soldiers lost their lives in the attack, meaning about 1,000 civilians were killed.
Blinken described the horror of "babies slaughtered, bodies desecrated, young people burned alive, women raped, parents executed in front of their children, children in front of their parents" during his press conference.