Blinken says Israel hasn't communicated date for Rafah operation, but he doesn't 'see anything imminent'
Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Israel had set a date for its offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. was in the dark. But Blinken added that he doesn't think the operation is imminent.
"No, we do not have a date for any Rafah operation -- at least one that's been communicated to us by the Israelis," Blinken said at a news conference with his United Kingdom counterpart, David Cameron. "On the contrary, what we have is an ongoing conversation with Israel about any Rafah operation. The president has been very clear about our concerns -- our deep concerns about Israel's ability to move civilians out of harm’s way."
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Blinken said he expected talks between Israeli and American officials on the matter would press on into next week and that he didn’t want to "prejudge" an outcome.
"I don't anticipate any actions being taken before those talks," he said. "I don't see anything imminent."
As other Biden administration officials have done, Blinken stressed that the administration’s evaluation of Israel’s efforts to meet dire humanitarian needs in Gaza would be ongoing, and that officials would be "looking at a number of critical things that need to happen in the coming days."
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Blinken said that list of items includes: opening a new portal for aid in northern Gaza; using Israel’s Port of Ashdod to bring in supplies on a regular basis; maximizing the flow of assistance from Jordan; repairing water lines throughout Gaza; and "putting in place a much more effective deconfliction mechanism with the humanitarian groups that are providing assistance."
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford