Blinken delivers strongest public rebuke of Israel yet: 'Get out of Gaza'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday delivered one of the Biden administration’s strongest public rebukes of Israel, amid its war with Hamas in Gaza.

During a pair of TV interviews, Blinken said the United States wants Israeli forces to "get out of Gaza" amid what he described as "a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians." He also said Israel’s tactics in the war have failed to neutralize Hamas and could create a power "vacuum" in the Palestinian territory.

When asked about the U.S. withholding high payload bombs to Israel, America’s ally, Blinken said: "We believe two things. One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven't seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza is over. And we still haven't seen that because what are we seeing right now? We're seeing parts of Gaza that Israel has cleared of Hamas, where Hamas is coming back, including in the north, including in Khan Younis."