Blinken tells Israeli government that Palestinians must be allowed to return to homes in Gaza

Blinken announced that the Israeli government had agreed to a plan to allow a United Nations assessment mission to northern Gaza as the Israeli offensive there shifts to a new phase.

“It will determine what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return safely to homes in the north,” Blinken said at a news conference in Tel Aviv.

In a day of talks with top Israeli officials, Blinken said he reaffirmed US support for Israel “ensuring that October 7 can never happen again,” while also calling on the government to do more to mitigate civilian casualties.

“The United States has Israel’s back today, tomorrow, always,” Blinken said. “It’s our unique bond and America’s enduring commitment to the people of Israel that allows, indeed demands, that we’re as forthright as possible in the moments when the stakes are highest, when the choices matter the most. This is one of those moments.”

Indeed, the stakes of the secretary’s latest visit couldn’t be higher as concerns mount over the war spilling out into the wider region and the humanitarian toll continues to grow. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the Israeli offensive, millions have been displaced, and the entire population in the war-torn strip faces the risk of famine, the UN has warned. US officials have publicly acknowledged that gaps remain between Israel’s “intentions” and “results” when it comes to the staggering toll on civilians.

The Biden administration has sought to maintain pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to curb its offensive and reduce harm to civilians. However, US officials have also offered unceasing support for Israel’s decision to carry out a military campaign, even amid growing international isolation.

Blinken has been dispatched to the Middle East four times in the more than three months since the October 7 Hamas attack and has made five visits to Israel during those trips. On each of his prior visits, Blinken has met with Netanyahu and his war Cabinet and did so again Tuesday.

In that meeting, Blinken “stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza” a readout from US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said. Although he called for protection of civilians in all his meetings in Tel Aviv Tuesday, according to the readouts, the top US diplomat also reaffirmed US support “for Israel’s right to prevent the terrorist attacks of October 7 from being repeated.”

In his meetings, Blinken discussed efforts to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Those efforts have yet to yield results after an initial round of hostage releases collapsed in early December.

The readout of Blinken’s meeting with Netanyahu and the war Cabinet indicates that the two sides discussed a proposal by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in which Israel would not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza until all the remaining hostages are released. A US official told CNN Monday the matter was expected to be a part of the discussion on Tuesday. Gallant is a member of the war Cabinet.

The readout said Blinken and Netanyahu “discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and the importance of increasing the level of humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in Gaza.”

“In this regard, the Secretary welcomed the appointment of Sigrid Kaag as the UN’s Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, pledging close cooperation with her in this new capacity,” it said.

Blinken spoke with Kaag on Monday prior to his meetings with the Israeli government officials in Tel Aviv.

In remarks on Sunday, the top US diplomat floated the idea of the UN assessing “what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return home” in northern Gaza. He has stressed that they be allowed to return home “as soon as conditions allow.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Blinken earlier Tuesday that his nation’s military needed to “finish the war” in order to bring back the hostages and the “security of our people” both in the north and the south of the country.

Calling the moment “an incredibly challenging time,” Blinken said he looked forward to sharing some of the opinions he had heard from other countries in the region.

“I know your own efforts over many years to build much greater connectivity and integration in the Middle East and I think there are actually real opportunities there but we have to get through this very challenging moment and ensure that October 7 can never happen again,” Blinken said.

“I will press on the absolute imperative to do more to protect civilians and to do more to make sure that humanitarian assistance is getting into the hands of those who need it,” Blinken said in Saudi Arabia Monday.

Blinken landed in Israel Monday evening following a flurry of stops in the region to press the need to stem wider escalation and discuss plans for the “day after” for Gaza.

Blinken arrived just hours after news emerged that a senior Hezbollah commander had been killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon – the second such strike by Israeli forces since the start of the year.

“With regard to Lebanon, it’s clearly not in the interest of anyone – Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah for that matter – to see this escalate and to see an actual conflict,” the top US diplomat said Monday.

He said he would convey to Israeli officials “everything I’ve heard thus far on this trip.”

There are numerous points of divergence between Israeli government officials and the Biden administration on plans for a post-war Gaza. US officials have repeatedly suggested that a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority (PA) could govern Gaza. In November, Blinken laid out the US terms, which included no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, “no diminution of the territory in Gaza and a commitment to Palestinian land governance for Gaza and the West Bank and in a unified way.”

Netanyahu has rejected the idea of the PA ruling Gaza. Far-right members of his government have advocated for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza – prompting a rebuke from Blinken earlier this week.

“Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot and they must not be pressed to leave Gaza. We reject the statements by some Israeli ministers and lawmakers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza,” he said in Doha Sunday.

“These statements are irresponsible, they’re inflammatory, and they only make it harder to secure a future of a Palestinian-led Gaza with Hamas no longer in control and with terrorist groups no longer able to threaten Israel’s security,” Blinken said.

This story and headline have been updated with additional information.

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