Blinken: Israel's Gaza tactics risk 'enduring insurgency'
The secretary of state criticized Israel's lack of plan to protect Rafah civilians


What happened
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken "delivered some of the Biden administration's strongest public criticism yet of Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza" in a pair of TV interviews Sunday, The Associated Press said. Meanwhile, as Israeli forces pushed deeper into Rafah to pursue a goal of eradicating the last Hamas military stronghold, reconstituted Hamas forces attacked in areas farther north that Israel had declared cleared of militants.
Who said what
Israel "may go in and have some initial success" in Rafah, "potentially at an incredibly high cost to civilians," but "they will be left holding the bag on an enduring insurgency because a lot of armed Hamas will be left no matter what they do in Rafah," Blinken said. Notably, U.S. and Israeli intelligence say "Hamas' top leaders in the Gaza Strip, including Yahya Sinwar, are not hiding in Rafah," said The New York Times.
Blinken also discussed a report released Friday on Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons, saying "it was reasonable to assess that, in certain instances, Israel acted in ways that are not consistent with international humanitarian law."
What next?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "has yet to chart a vision for postwar Gaza's governance," saying only that he sees no place for the Palestinian Authority or an Israeli military occupation, The Wall Street Journal said. Nothing good will happen, Blinken said, if Israel "leaves a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Bibi's back: what will Netanyahu do next?
Today's Big Question Riding high after a series of military victories, Israel's PM could push for peace in Gaza – or secure his own position with snap election
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
ICE arrests NYC comptroller at courthouse
Speed Read Brad Lander was held for about four hours before being released
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'
Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
ABA sues Trump over 'law firm intimidation policy'
Speed Read Trump has 'used the vast powers of the executive branch to coerce lawyers,' the lawsuit said
-
Judge orders Trump's NIH grant cuts reversed
Speed Read Trump had attempted to slash more than $1 billion in research grants
-
Trump leaves G7 early, warns Tehran to evacuate
Speed Read Trump claimed to have left the summit due to ongoing issues in the Middle East
-
Trump tells ICE to hit blue cities, spare farms, hotels
Speed Read Trump has targeted New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles among other cities