Blinken meets Qatar PM, says Israeli actions are not 'retaliation,' but 'defending the lives of its people'
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Qatar as the world remains on high alert regarding Hamas's demand for a "Day of Rage" in support of Palestinians.
Blinken spoke in Doha, Qatar, on Friday at a press conference with the country's prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
"No country can tolerate having a terrorist group come in, slaughter its people in the most unconscionable ways and live like that," Blinken said.
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He added, "What Israel is doing is not retaliation, it is defending the lives of its people."
The state secretary reiterated the "importance of taking every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians" but stressed that any nation "faced with what Israel has suffered would likely do the same."
Prior to his departure from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, Blinken denounced the terrorism displayed by Hamas and reiterated America's plans to "ensure Israel gets everything it needs to defend itself and provide for the security of its people."
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Blinken confirmed Thursday that 27 Americans have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas.
He also reacted to images of "murdered and burned" babies released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, which purported to show atrocities committed by Hamas.
"It's hard to find the right words," Blinken said Thursday at a press conference. "It's beyond what anyone would ever want to imagine, much less actually see and, God forbid, experience. A baby, an infant riddled with bullets, soldiers beheaded, young people burned alive in their cars or in their hideaway rooms. I could go on, but it's simply depravity in the worst imaginable way. It almost defies comprehension."
Blinken also met separately with Jordanian King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan, Friday morning.