U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that there remains a gap between Israel's intention to protect civilians and the results on the ground in Gaza, adding that Washington talks with Israel regularly about civilian protection. During a press conference in Washington following his meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Blinken noted, "It remains essential for Israel to prioritize the protection of civilians. There’s still a gap between, as I said exactly when I was there, the intention to protect civilians and the actual results we see on the ground."
He emphasized that it is "important" to conduct a "full and thorough investigation" into the Israeli bombardment that led to the killing of Issam Abdullah and injured six others on October 13 in southern Lebanon. When asked about this issue during the press conference, he said, "I believe Israel has begun such an investigation, and it will be important to see the success of this investigation and understand the outcomes." A Reuters investigation concluded that an Israeli tank crew killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdullah and injured six other journalists in Lebanon on October 13 by firing two shells in quick succession while the journalists were documenting cross-border shelling.
