00:00 Secretary of State Antony Blinken invoked his Jewish ancestry on Thursday in a markedly
00:05 personal appeal to the Israeli public aimed at offering solidarity as the country reeled
00:10 from the deadliest assault in its 75-year history.
00:14 "I come before you not only as the United States Secretary of State but also as a Jew,"
00:20 Blinken told an audience at Israel's Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
00:24 "My grandfather Morris Blinken fled pogroms in Russia. My stepfather Samuel Pisaar survived
00:31 concentration camps," he said. "I understand on a personal level the harrowing echoes that
00:37 Hamas's massacres carry for Israeli Jews and, indeed, for Jews everywhere."
00:42 Blinken stood beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who offered his gratitude
00:48 to Blinken and the American public for its "incredible support" for Israel in our
00:52 war against the barbarians of Hamas. Blinken's unequivocal support for Israel came amid growing
00:59 international calls to manage the deteriorating humanitarian situation stemming from Israel's
01:04 airstrikes and shutdown of Gaza. The top U.S. diplomat is on a multi-calendary swing through
01:11 the Middle East in an effort to manage the swirling crisis as Israel vows to annihilate
01:16 Hamas in response to the group's devastating assault on Israeli communities.
01:21 In Gaza, where resources are dwindling after Israel ordered a total blockade earlier this
01:27 week, U.N. Secretary-General Ante ~3 Niogdara's urged the allowance of rapid and unimpeded
01:34 humanitarian access, crucial life-saving supplies A including fuel, food and water A must be
01:41 allowed into Gaza, he said. Gaza will not receive water or electricity until hostages
01:47 are set free, Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz said Thursday.
01:52 Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, this weekend is believed to have taken more
01:57 than 100 hostages from Israel over the border. Their fate remains unclear.
02:03 On his visit, Blinken brought one of his top aides for hostage negotiations, Stephen Gillen,
02:09 who will remain in Israel to keep working to free the U.S. hostages, Blinken told reporters
02:15 at a news conference. At least 25 Americans have been killed following Hamas's assault
02:21 on Saturday, said Blinken, but U.S. officials have declined to say how many Americans have
02:27 been taken hostage. During his visit, Blinken met Laertjel Bouam, 24, a dual U.S./Israeli
02:35 citizen who survived the dance rave in southern Israel that was attacked by Hamas militants.
02:40 In an emotional exchange, Gell-Bouam told Blinken it was a miracle she survived, and
02:46 urged the United States and Israel to focus on saving the hostages. Blinken said the Biden
02:51 administration is also in conversations with the Israelis and Egyptians to provide safe
02:57 passage to civilians in Gaza before a widely expected Israeli ground invasion of the enclave.
03:03 The densely populated Gaza Strip relies on Israel for most of its electricity and other
03:09 basic services. Severing gas and power from the territory could leave many residents without
03:15 clean drinking water, proper sanitation and health care. Palestinian authorities said
03:20 that Gaza's only power plant had stopped operating Thursday after running out of fuel.
03:26 Egypt urged Israel to refrain from targeting the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing
03:31 out the only entry into Gaza not controlled by Israel-A with airstrikes so it could be
03:36 reopened for deliveries of food, water and emergency services. But as the humanitarian
03:42 concerns mount, Blinken made clear that the United States will stand with Israel, even
03:48 as others criticize its occupation and subjugation of Palestinians. "You may be strong enough
03:54 on your own to defend yourself. But as long as America exists, you will never ever have
04:00 to," Blinken said. "We will always be there by your side." Blinken assured Israelis that
04:05 there was bipartisan support for Israel in the US Congress, which is preparing to approve
04:11 more military aid to Israel amid competing demands for aid to Taiwan, Ukraine and the
04:16 US southern border. Blinken repeatedly defended Israel's right to defend itself but made reference
04:22 to the importance of trying to avoid civilian casualties. "We democracies distinguish ourselves
04:28 from terrorists by striving for a different standard, even when it's difficult," he said.
04:34 "That's why it's so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians."
04:40 During his meeting with Netanyahu, the Israeli leader said he showed Blinken graphic images
04:45 of babies allegedly mutilated and burned by Hamas. US officials said they were not in
04:51 a position to authenticate the images, but Blinken described what he saw in the pictures
04:57 as "depravity in the worst imaginable way." US officials are also working to provide safe
05:03 passage to some of the estimated 500 to 600 Palestinian American residents of Gaza who
05:09 are seeking to flee, said a US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss
05:14 a sensitive issue. Blinken did not confirm or deny a Washington Post report that the
05:20 United States and Qatar have quietly agreed not to allow the release in the near term
05:25 of Iranian oil revenues held in Doha. "We have strict oversight of the funds and we retain
05:30 the right to freeze them," Blinken said. Following his lighting round of meetings on
05:35 Thursday, Blinken will fly to Jordan to meet King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority
05:41 President Mahmoud Abbas. He also plans to travel to Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
05:47 and Saudi Arabia a continuing to urge countries with diplomatic relations with Hezbollah,
05:52 Iran and the Palestinians in the West Bank to convince them to stay out of the deal.
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