#englishnews #antonyblinken #netanyahu <br /><br />News Article :-<br />US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks on Monday in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the escalating conflict with Hamas.<br /><br />It's the top US diplomat's second trip to Israel in just a week.<br /><br />During the meeting, Mr Blinken received an update on the situation on the ground, the State Department said.<br /><br />He reaffirmed his support for Israel to defend itself from Hamas and the willingness of the US to aid the country, the department added.<br /><br />They also discussed US coordination with the UN and regional partners to help provide humanitarian aid to civilians.<br />The meeting comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is reaching a critical point, with water, food and medical supplies running low.<br /><br />More than 2,700 Palestinians have been killed and 9,700 wounded in Gaza in Israel's retaliatory strikes since the Hamas attacks.<br /><br />Hamas is a Palestinian militant group which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is designated a terrorist organisation by the US and other western governments.<br /><br />More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel when Hamas militants crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip to attack civilians and soldiers.<br />At least 30 Americans are among the dead while 13 are still unaccounted for, according to the latest numbers from the US State Department.<br /><br />The missing are thought to have been abducted by Hamas and Mr Blinken discussed with Israeli President Isaac Herzog how they might secure the release of nearly 200 people taken.<br /><br />The US has chartered a ship and several flights to evacuate Americans out of Israel to safe nearby locations this week, according to US officials.<br /><br />Last week, Mr Blinken held meetings in Tel Aviv before making several other stops in the region, including to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<br /><br />During his tour of Arab countries, Mr Blinken pledged his support for the Israeli government, while arguing that Israel must affirm "shared values for human life and human dignity".<br /><br />President Joe Biden, meanwhile, told CBS News in an interview on Sunday that Hamas should be eliminated.<br /><br />"Israel is going after a group of people who have engaged in barbarism that is as consequential as the Holocaust. And - so I think Israel has to respond," he said, while also promising to supply aid to Israel.<br /><br />The president warned, however, that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "big mistake" and said there should be a "path to a Palestinian state".<br /><br />Mr Biden is also said to be weighing a trip to Israel in the coming days.
