US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will arrive in Israel on Friday as part of a new Middle East tour amid the war in Gaza.
Reports indicated that the US would be sending special forces to Israel for possible intervention in a rescue mission to release the captives held by Hamas and find potential Hamas alternatives.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced that Blinken will visit Tel Aviv on Friday as part of his second tour in the Middle East since the Hamas attack last Oct. 7 against Israeli settlements.
He told reporters that Blinken will meet with officials in the Israeli government and visit other regions, which he did not name.
During his first trip, Blinken visited Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Blinken accompanied the US President on his brief visit to Tel Aviv last Oct. 18.
US State Department Advisor Derek Chollet will also visit Israel, Jordan, and Türkiye as part of US contacts regarding the situation in Gaza.
- A Hamas alternative?
Miller also announced that Blinken spoke by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, reiterating the US support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism consistent with international humanitarian law and emphasizing the need to take feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians.
After the meeting, Blinken posted on the X platform that he discussed with Herzog efforts to safeguard US citizens, bring hostages home, urgently increase the pace and volume of humanitarian assistance that is entering Gaza for distribution to Palestinian civilians, and prevent the conflict from spreading.
On Tuesday, Blinken participated in a hearing before the US Senate Appropriations Committee.
"At some point, what would make the most sense would be for an effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority to have governance and ultimately security responsibility for Gaza," Blinken told the hearing.
- The next day
US officials are exploring with their Israeli counterparts and leaders of other regional countries options for the future of the Strip in a post-Hamas era if Israel wins the battle. A clear plan has not yet emerged.
Bloomberg website reported that among the options is the possibility of a multinational force that may involve US troops if Israeli forces succeed in ousting Hamas. Another option would be to see Gaza put under temporary UN oversight.
In response to the report, the White House said sending US troops to Gaza as part of a peacekeeping force is not something being considered or under discussion.
Some of President Joe Biden's aides are concerned that while Israel may craft an effective plan to inflict lasting damage to Hamas, it has yet to formulate an exit strategy.
"We have had very preliminary talks about what the future of Gaza might look like," Miller said in a briefing.
"I expect it will be the subject of a good bit of diplomatic engagement moving forward," he added.
Blinken also wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post saying the Congress's swift support [...] will ensure the US can help Israel defend itself while aiding Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire of Hamas's making.
"Taken together, this investment will show the US' unwavering resolve in standing with our allies and partners, standing up to autocrats and terrorists, and standing for an international order that safeguards America's interests and values."
The Secretary pointed out that "some in Congress are making the case to fund only parts of the president's request, including proposals to cut out all humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza."
However, Blinken believes it would be a "grave mistake."
He explained that it would deepen the suffering of more than 2 million Palestinian civilians, including women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations who have nothing to do with Hamas's deplorable attacks.
"It will undercut Israel's security and regional stability. And it will worsen problems and risks that will end up costing US taxpayers many magnitudes more over time."
He stressed that from the moment Hamas killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, including at least 35 US citizens, and took more than 230 hostages, "President Biden has consistently affirmed Israel's right — indeed, its obligation — to defend itself and prevent Hamas from carrying out such an attack ever again."
Biden made clear that the US will ensure Israel has what it needs to defend its people against all threats, including from Iran and its proxy groups, noted Biden.
- Responsible for atrocities
Blinken also said that, at the same time, the way Israel defends itself is important.
He explained that Palestinian civilians are not to blame for "Hamas's atrocities or for the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are its victims. As with civilians in any conflict, the lives of Palestinian civilians must be protected."
"That means the flow of food, water, medicine, fuel, and other essential humanitarian aid into Gaza must increase — immediately and significantly."
It means Palestinian civilians must be able to stay out of harm's way, noted Blinken, adding that it means every possible precaution must be taken to safeguard humanitarian sites, and humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes.
- US intervention forces
Meanwhile, the New York Times quoted Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations Christopher Maier that commandos on the ground in Israel are helping locate the captives.
"We're actively helping the Israelis to do a number of things," Maier said, adding that a principal task was to help Israel "identify hostages, including US hostages. It's really our responsibility to do so."
Maier said US Special Operations forces in the region are also poised "to help our own citizens get out of places and to help our embassies be secure."
Other American officials had previously announced that the Pentagon dispatched a dozen commandos in recent weeks, in addition to a small team that was in Israel during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 conducting previously scheduled training.
The official stressed that US Special Operations Forces have not been assigned any combat roles in Israel and will work with specialists from the FBI, the State Department, and other hostage-recovery specialists.
