00:30The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked on Sunday that a full-scale Israeli offensive
00:36in the Gaza city of Rafah would result in anarchy unless Hamas is eliminated.
00:41Additionally, he acknowledged that Israeli forces had caused more civilian casualties
00:47than Hamas militants.
00:50On Face the Nation, CBS's Margaret Renan questioned Blinken about whether the United States agrees
00:57with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statement.
01:01Netanyahu claimed that Israel had killed 14,000 terrorists and 16,000 civilians in its conflict
01:08with Hamas.
01:09In the interview, Blinken affirmed the US's agreement with the assessment, stating that
01:14Israel's efforts to minimize civilian harm in Gaza haven't been consistently applied,
01:19as outlined in the report.
01:21This interview follows President Biden's recent statement that offensive weapon shipments
01:25to Israel would cease if it invades Rafah, where over a million civilians are seeking
01:30refugee.
01:32Concerns from global leaders and humanitarian organizations have highlighted the risks posed
01:36to civilians by Israel's actions in Gaza.
01:39Blinken also spoke about a recent review from the State Department about Israel's war conduct,
01:43which raised serious concerns about its actions in Gaza.
01:47Blinken mentioned that the assessment of Israel's actions will continue, highlighting the civilian
01:51suffering witnessed during the conflict in Gaza.
01:54He stated that, considering the extensive civilian casualties and injuries, including
01:58women, children and men, caught in the crossfire, it is reasonable to conclude that Israel has,
02:04in several instances, acted contrary to international humanitarian law.
02:08Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in a call Sunday with his Israeli counterpart
02:14Tzatchi Hanegbi, raised concerns about military ground operation in Rafah and discussed alternative
02:20courses of action that would ensure Hamas is defeated everywhere in Gaza.
02:25According to a White House summary of the conversation, Hanegbi confirms that Israel
02:29is taking U.S. concerns into account, the White House said.
02:33According to Gaza Health Ministry, the war in Gaza has resulted in over 34,000 Palestinian
02:37deaths.
02:38The ministry's figures do not differentiate between combatant and civilian casualties.
02:43The conflict erupted following Hamas militants' attack on southern Israel, resulting in the
02:48deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the hostage-taking of more than 200 individuals.
