United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said Palestinians “must be able to return” to their homes once the fighting eases in the region.
Blinken condemned some Israeli ministers who have reportedly suggested Palestinians shoud resettle elsewhere. The official was speaking after dozens of people were reportedly killed in northern Gaza over the weekend.
Footage from the Jabalia refugee camp showed bodies lying in the rubble of a destroyed building. Another 60 people were also reported to have died in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
The Jabalia camp has been hit several times since fighting between Israel and Hamas escalated. Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 with 240 people being taken hostage.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims 22,000 people have died in the Strip since. There have been around 113 people reportedly killed in 24 hours over the weekend.
Speaking from Qatar on Sunday, Blinken said: “Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must not be pressed to leave Gaza.”
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich this week called for Palestinians to leave Gaza. He said they should make way for Israelis who would “make the desert bloom”.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a call to “encourage the migration” of people living in Gaza. This, he said, would be a solution to the security crisis.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government’s official line is that people will eventually be able to return home in Gaza. Although there is no outline on how or when that could happen, reports the BBC.
A majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced by the war. Israel meanwhile says it has completed its operation in the north of the Strip, with the central and southern areas due to be targeted next.
