Secretary of state anthony blinken. Today, tomorrow. Every day. In my meetings with the prime minister, with president herzog with the ministries in National Emergency government we discussed in detail what israel needs to defend its people and how the United States can meet those needs. We are delivering on knows needs as we speak and work swiftly with congress to meet them as they evolve. This afternoon, i met families of american citizens that hamas has killed or taken hostage. The enormity of their anguish, their loss is immeasurable. So the families of the missing, there is unrelenting agony of not knowing the fate of their loved ones something i dont think most of us can truly understand, contemplate if you are not in their shoes. No one should have to endure what they are going through. There are so many families. The United States is one of more 30 countries, family members and friends are being forced to through this experience because of hamas disdain for human life and basic human dignity. We are doing everything to secure the release of the hostages working closely with our israeli partners. I brought our special Deputy Representative for Hostage Affairs who joined our meetings and will support the efforts to free their loved ones. And i had a chance to see up close the inspiring solidarity of the israeli people in the wake of hamas attacks. Citizens have organized efforts to collect, sort to distribute to those in need including families who have been displaced and met with some of the volunteers. Some of them are dual u. S. Israeli citizens. One young couple told me how they escaped with their own lives when they were attacked at a Music Festival and told me about their friends who were not fortunate, who were killed at that festival. Others taken hostage or still missing. In our time here in israel, everywhere we have gone people have been touched in one way or another by hamas blood hand, a loved one, a friend, a classmate, a neighbor, a colleague, killed, maimed, missing. Encountered a nation knit together by grief, but also a nation united in resolve. United states shares that resolve. We stand shouldertoshoulder with the people of israel. From here, i will go on to meet with the king of jordan and president abbas and over the coming days, with leaders in saudi arabia, united emirates, egypt and qatar. Each of these engagements will prevent the conflict from spreading and use their leverage with hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages and will discuss how to continue to make affirmative vision for a region that is more prosperous, more secure more integrated and that is the choice and the choice in some ways has been made even more stark by the actions of hamas on saturday. One path forward is a region that comes together. Integrated. Normalize relations amongst countries, people working for a common purpose, common benefit, more peaceful, more stable. Then as the path of hamas has shown in the stark clear light, terror, destruction, the choice could not be more clear. We know the choice that we are making, our partners are making. We have work to do to carry it through. I was supported by an Exceptional Team here in israel doing kreurnl work in incredibly difficult conditions led by by charges d affairs. And stephanie is doing an excellent job and welcome jack lew. Hamas launched this attack and finish reading the tora. Jews around the world will chant the first words of the book of genesis will read that in the beginning there was darkness and then there was light and the first person was alone until a partner joined them. Im standing here along side our israeli friends and all those to help find the glimmers of light even in this moment of deep darkness and make clear as long as the United States, israel will never be alone. With that, i will be happy to take questions. First committee. Question. Secretary blinken president netanyahu has shared what our gruesome photos and have shared them with you and what is your reaction was to those. And if i may and acknowledge the great suffering that has been experienced by israelis and a lot of concern about the situation in gaza as well, people looking for food in light of the cutoff. What was discussed . Was there any call for restraint as we expect a ground offensive and one thing that has been reported just recently, a report in the Washington Post that United States and qatar have decided to slow down or suspend the access that iran has to the 6 billion put in a special account. Is this accurate and can you explain if this is a slowdown . Secretary blinken we did see photographs, videos that the Israeli Government shared with us. Some i think have already been seen in media and others were new to me, to our team. Haste hard to find the right words. Its 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 highway rooms. I could go on. But its simply did he praft in the worst imaginable way. It almost defiles comprehension and saying to me in the most immediate future, harkens back to isis and some of the very things we saw when it was on its rampage and thankfully was stopped. So i think for any human being to see this, its really beyond almost anything we can comprehend, digest. And i just add that when you see this, you try to imagine maybe not try you cant help but imagine yourself, your family, your loved ones, your friends in that situation, in that situation. And maybe the best word for me is overwhelming. I think what it has done is that as i said, united a country in profound grief but united a country in resolve. And its imperative that the rest of us share that resolve. I said this earlier, this is a moment for moral clarity. This is a moment where Everyone Needs to make clear that there is revulsion, disgust and determination, determination not to allow this to go forward. So images are worth a thousand words. These images may be worth a million. On the humanitarian situation in gaza, i think its first important to remember fundamental issue that makes this complicated. Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields. Something not new and always done, intentionally putting civilians in harms way to protect themselves or protect their infrastructure or protect their weapons. So thats one of the basic facts that israel has to deal with. And of course, civilians should not be used in any way as the target for military operations. They are not the target of israels operations. We did discuss ways to address the humanitarian needs of People Living in gaza and protect them from harm while israel protects itself from terrorism and to ensure this never happens again. We also talked about possibilities for safe passage for civilians who want to leave or get out of the way in gaza and thats a discussion that we will pursue in the coming days including some of the countries we will be visiting. So this is important and this is an area for focus. With regard to the 6 billion. First, again, unfortunately the facts get lost along the way. The money that iran accrued in bank accounts, in this case in south korea for the sale of its oil was done pursuant to an arrangement established by the trump administration. None of the funds that have now gone to qatar have actually been spent or accessed by iran indeed. Funds from that account are overseen by the Treasury Department and can only be dispensed for humanitarian goods, food, medicine and medical equipment and never touch iranian hands. We have strict oversight of the funds and we retain the right to freeze them. Next question goes to channel 13. Reporter mr. Secretary, thank you very much, channel 13 israel. The president compared hamas to isis. Can you provide assurance that the Biden Administration will not attempt to halt israels effort until the goal is completely achieved regardless of how long it may take and with your permission, second question, if hezbollah opens a second front in the north, can we expect that the u. S. Will use its military efforts in the region to fight against hezbollah . Secretary blinken thank you. With regard to the first question, president has been very clear. I have been very clear. We stand with israel. We stand with israel and its determination to defend its people, defend its country. We stand with israel and its determination to do everything p position to ensure that what happened on saturday never happens again. And in that determination, we have provided assistance as requested by israel. That will continue and we are working with congress to ensure that israel has what it needs to do what it must. With regard to the second front, as i mentioned earlier, its our determination and that of israel as well that there not be a second front or a third front and we are working as hard as we can working with other partners in the region to try to ensure that thats the case. The president has also been very clear, president biden, he has been very clear that no one, state or nonstate actor should try to take advantage of this moment. And he is backed up that warning with the deployment of our largest carrier group, the gerald r. For dmp and making sure that israel has what it needs and that we also have appropriate assets in place. Beyond that, im not going to speculate on future events. Next question, new york times. Reporter i thank you secretary blinken. Many people have likened the horrendous violence to attacks on 9 11. The u. S. Has goodwill and there was many expressions of solidarity from around the world. But soon afterwards the u. S. Squandered that by invading iraq. Many people think that the most lasting consequences of 9 11 were the two wars that Many Americans deemed disasters in hindsight. I wonder what lessons might you have for israel as a friend of israel looking back at the aftermath of 9 11 . Second, i wonder whether your team has an assessment of what hamas goals were in carrying out the attacks and whether it has gotten closer to those goals. Secretary blinken with regard to 9 11, if you look at this in proportions to the size of israels population, this is equivalent of 10 nestles. 9 11s. That is how big and devastating this attack has been and of course each of these situations is very different and its important to keep that in mind. Of course, we are always trying to draw lessons from past experiences as they may or may not be applicable to what our partners are doing now and we are in very close conversation with israel about the work it is undertaking to make sure it can defend itself, its citizens and ensure that this doesnt happen again. Those are the objectives. And again, ill leave the operational details to israel. And simply say again that as we have these discussions, we are looking at past experiences including many past experiences more immediate to this challenge including gaza and in the region. With regard to the goals of hamas, i think that is a question mostly i wish i could speculate but not give you any kind of clear, definitive answer. There are a number of possible explanations. We have not heard from them what their goals are. And i have to tell you that in many ways, the simplest explanation may be the most compelling, this is pure evil. And there may be second or third interests. For example, i have noted this before. We have been engaged as you know, in trying to support and advance the possibility of normalization between israel and saudi arabia and other countries that do not yet have normalized relations with israel, something that is very challenging, very difficult, but also very possible and something that would have a profound effect on the region, countries in question and a region, a region that has been in turmoil. Through normalization and integration, and a path to greater stability, much greater peace, much greater opportunity for everyone in the region. Now who opposes normalization . Hamas, hezbollah, iran. That speaks volumes as well. Final question goes to christine. Reporter thank you, secretary blinken, did you discuss with netanyahu the need for israel to commit the mission and goal on the war in gaza and any more details about the humanitarian crisis in gaza . And following on my colleagues question, the white house reflected president bidens claim of seeing pictures of beheaded children. But today you mentioned in your press conference about the babies, the soldiers and the women raped. Did you see the evidence of that, thank you . Secretary blinken you heard the president address this and i have addressed it in different ways, i would say this, for democracies like the United States, like israel, its vitally important that we respect and follow international law, humanitarian law, the law of war as applicable and its a standard that we hold ourselves to and its a standard that we look to including if and when we fall short. This is something that motivates both of us and distinguishes from terrorist organizations like hamas, which have absolutely no regard for the rule of law, for humanitarian rules and rights, for any basic standards of human decency. As we were discussing a few minutes ago, they target civilians and not just target civilians, target them in the most inhumane ways as possible and at the same time, use them as human shields. So thats profound distinction between our countries and group like hamas. When it comes to the photographs, videos, i described what i saw today. Doesnt mean its the entire universe. We had the opportunity to see some of the photographs and videos unfortunately there are many, many, many others. And every day, the world is seeing new evidence of the the inhumanity of hamas. The inhumanity directed at babies, at small children, at young adults, at elderly people, people with disabilities, the list goes on. And on a basic human level how anyone cannot be revolted and cannot reject what they see, what the world has seen is beyond me. Thank you. Thank youy y leader Hakeem Jeffries out there nominee. As of now, there are no scheduled votes to elect the next house speaker. Rep. Scalise first, let me i know we have been following this. It had been quite a journey. And there is still a long way to go. I just shared with my colleagues that
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