Americans Blocked From Exiting Gaza
United States Secretary of State Antony Blicken has claimed that the Hamas terrorists are blocking foreign nationals, including Americans, from leaving Gaza. Speaking to CBS on Sunday evening, Blinken told the media house that US officials are camping near the Rafah crossing, waiting for Americans in Gaza to Arrive, but that has yet to happen.
When asked whether more Americans were still being held captive by Hamas or other terrorist groups in Gaza like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Secretary of State declined to answer. On Friday, Hamas released Americans Natalie Raanan and Judith Raanan after the US government asked Qatar, the Middle East nation known to have good relations with Hamas, to negotiate with the terror group the release of the two US residents.
It is still unclear if there are other Americans remaining in the hands of the Gaza-based criminal organizations. According to a recent report from media outlet AFP, Israeli authorities have yet to establish the whereabouts of 11 Americans.
UN Agency Asks Israel to Cease Fire to Allow Humanitarian Efforts in Gaza
Meanwhile, the UN’s International Children’s Emergency Fund is calling on Israel to temporarily stop their attack on Hamas in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza’s residents who currently lack access to medicine, water, and food.
In the CBS interview, Blicken said Israel may heed the calls of the UN agency as it has ceased fire severally in the past to allow humanitarian assistance. However, he warned that Israel must remain on the lookout even after cooling down its attacks on Hamas to ensure the terror group does not launch another assault.
Should Biden Tell Israel to Cease Fire?
CBS journalist Margaret Brennan asked the US Secretary of State to comment on the remarks of Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian activist who said in a past interview that President Joe Biden should tell Israel “enough is enough” in regard to its response to the October 7 attack.
Blicken said the Hamas terrorists knew the consequences of their actions when they invaded Israel, murdering more than 1,000 innocent people. He, however, admitted that the situation in Gaza makes him sad, especially seeing images of children who have died since the start of the war.
A Hamas-managed Healthy Ministry in Gaza claims over 1,500 children have lost their lives. However, United States officials are convinced that the death toll is exaggerated.
