Blinken: Why Isn’t World Demanding Hamas Stop Hiding Behind Civilians And Surrender?

Speaking at a press conference this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken chastised the vast media apparatus across the world and assorted governments who have not demanded that Hamas stop hiding behind civilians and surrender.

Blinken responded to a reporter who claimed the year was ending with “much of the world blaming the U.S. and Israel,” claiming America’s support or Israel was “hurting America’s image in the world.”

“Let me say this: We believe that, as we said from the outset, Israel has not only a right, but an obligation, to defend itself and to try to make sure that October 7 never happens again,” Blinken replied. “Any other country in the world faced with what Israel suffered on October 7 would do the same thing. We have said and been very clear that how Israel does it matters tremendously; there too we have been very deeply engaged with them to maximize protections for civilians, to maximize humanitarian assistance, to minimize harm, to move the people in Gaza.”

Then he turned to the world’s refusal to make demands of Hamas:

One thing striking to me is understandably everyone would like to see the conflict end as soon as possible, but if this ends with Hamas remaining in place and having the capacity and a stated intent to repeat October 7 again and again and again that is not in the interest of Israel. It is not in the interest of the region. It is not in the interest of the world. What is striking to me is that even as, again, we hear virtually nobody saying, demanding of Hamas that it stop hiding behind civilians, that it lay down its arms, that it surrender. This is over tomorrow if Hamas does. This would have been over a month ago, six weeks ago if Hamas had done that.

“How can it be that there are no demands made of the aggressor and only demands made of the victim?” Blinken asked rhetorically. “It would be good if there was a strong international voice pressing Hamas to do what is necessary to end this.”