Blinken met Netanyahu in Tel Aviv days after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood to declare support for Israel (Anatolia-Archive)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday renewed his country's support for Israel, stressing that it has the right to defend itself and prevent a repeat of the October 7 attack.

During his meeting today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken stressed the "importance" that Israel avoid harming more Palestinian civilians in its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken "reiterated our support for Israel's right to prevent a repeat of the terrorist attacks of October 7, and stressed the importance of avoiding further harm to civilians and protecting Gaza's civilian infrastructure."

This statement comes despite the fact that during its aggression on the Gaza Strip - as of Monday - Israel killed more than 23,58 Palestinians and injured 926,<>, most of them children and women, as well as caused massive destruction of infrastructure and caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.

In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

In addition to the Gaza Strip, the occupation authorities also deliberately destroy the infrastructure in the cities and towns they raid on a daily basis in the West Bank, deliberately kill Palestinians, including children, and arrest dozens daily under various pretexts.

The Israeli prime minister's office said in a brief statement that Prime Minister Netanyahu met with US Secretary of State Blinken, "and will later hold an expanded meeting with the war management board."

The meeting was held at the Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, but the statement did not explain why it was held bilaterally.

Blinken has also met in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterpart Yisrael Katz and President Isaac Herzog.

Galant (left) confirmed that the pace of fighting in Khan Yunis will intensify (French)

Pressure on Iran

In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant called during his meeting with Blinken to increase pressure on Iran to prevent regional escalation.

Gallant added that our priority on the northern front is to return residents to their homes after changing the current security situation and stopping Hizbullah attacks.

He stressed that the pace of fighting in Khan Yunis would intensify and continue until Hamas leaders were reached and Israeli detainees were returned.

Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday evening for his fifth visit since the outbreak of war in early October as part of a tour that also includes Turkey, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the occupied West Bank and Egypt.

Source: Agencies