Blinken Urges Civilian Protection as Gaza Tensions Rise

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged that civilians in both the Gaza Strip and Israel be shielded as Israel prepared for a potential ground operation in Gaza. The outreach framed a broader diplomatic effort to halt a slide into wider fighting and to tamp down the humanitarian crisis spiraling from the crisis. The move reflected a global concern among partners and allies about safeguarding noncombatants and stabilizing a volatile regional landscape. Washington signaled its intent to work through diplomacy to prevent the conflict from spreading and to address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, even as the strategic calculations on the ground continued to unfold.