U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed in a press conference before leaving Israel that the United States seeks to prevent matters from escalating into a second and third front in the region. He stated that he would be moving on to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the Palestinian Authority President to pressure Hamas. He expressed hope for a safer and more secure region. He continued, "America is doing everything possible to secure the release of hostages."
Regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, he said, "Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields, so the situation is complicated and Israel is dealing with it. Civilian targets should not be part of military operations in any way." Speaking on Iran's finances, he stated, "We reserve the right to prevent these funds from reaching Iran. In fact, Washington maintains strict oversight over $6 billion in Iranian funds transferred from a bank account in South Korea to another in Qatar as part of a prisoner exchange agreement earlier this year." Blinken noted that the funds have not yet been spent or withdrawn.
He affirmed the aim to avoid opening a second front in the region; otherwise, ships would move to the area to support Israel. He added, "I discussed providing a safe passage for civilians who want to leave Gaza." Comparing the attacks to September 11, he said, "The attack in Israel is much larger compared to the population of Israel, and therefore the disaster is severe."
