美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯(Antony Johnson)周二与以色列高级官员举行了一系列会议，同意启动一个由联合国领导的评估团，为加沙北部因战争而流离失所的平民最终返回家园铺平道路，这是恢复被围困的飞地正常感的重要一步。
布林肯在记者招待会上说:“随着以色列在加沙北部的行动进入低强度阶段，随着以色列国防军减少在那里的部队，我们今天就联合国执行评估任务的计划达成了一致。”。“这将决定需要做些什么来让流离失所的巴勒斯坦人安全返回北部的家园。”
“现在，这不会在一夜之间发生。存在严重的安全、基础设施和人道主义挑战，”布林肯警告说。“但该任务将启动一个过程，评估这些障碍以及如何克服它们。”
2024年1月9日，美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯(左)在特拉维夫会见以色列外长伊斯雷尔·卡茨(右二)，这是他为期一周的中东之行，旨在缓解中东地区的紧张局势。
Evelyn Hockstein/POOL via AFP via Getty Images
布林肯还在南非向联合国最高法律机构国际法院提起的种族灭绝指控中为以色列进行了有力的辩护，声称该案件“分散了世界对与冲突有关的重要努力的注意力”。
“此外，种族灭绝的指控是没有根据的，”布林肯断言。“考虑到那些攻击以色列的人——哈马斯、真主党、胡塞人以及他们的支持者伊朗——继续公开呼吁消灭以色列和大规模屠杀犹太人，这尤其令人恼火。”
自哈马斯10月7日发动恐怖袭击以来，布林肯对以色列进行了几次访问，其中一次是在以色列，但他确实公开表达了对以色列政府的一些批评，特别是右翼官员反对建立独立的巴勒斯坦国，他在讲台上敦促他们“停止采取削弱巴勒斯坦人有效管理自己能力的措施”。"
国务卿还被问及两位以色列部长呼吁将巴勒斯坦人转移出加沙，这是美国国务院的立场砰地关上上周被指责为“煽动性的和不负责任的”。
布林肯说，本雅明·内塔尼亚胡总理向他保证，强行将巴勒斯坦人重新安置在飞地边界之外不是他的政府的立场。
但即使说服以色列政府允许联合国为加沙周边地区的流离失所者开辟道路，也远未得到保证。
美国官员说，自战争爆发以来，以色列政府一直不愿意允许各种类型的外部援助进入加沙，因为担心这会无意中使哈马斯战士受益，而且改变以色列的立场往往需要与高层内阁成员进行面对面的外交。
根据联合国近东巴勒斯坦难民救济和工程处的数据，加沙地带有近200万人----占人口的绝大多数----在冲突期间的某个时候流离失所。
该机构还说，自从战斗开始后不久，它在加沙北部分发人道主义援助和分享有关该地区情况的信息的能力极其有限。
布林肯说，他还在闭门会议上讨论了以色列缩减军事行动的计划，并重申了拜登政府支持以色列打击哈马斯的长期承诺，直到这个被认定的恐怖组织构成的威胁被消除。
他说:“我们相信，以色列已经朝着这个根本目标取得了重大进展。”。
据以色列总理办公室称，在10月7日的恐怖袭击中，约有1200人在以色列丧生。根据巴勒斯坦卫生部的数据，自10月7日以来，已有超过23，000人在加沙丧生。
Blinken announces deal to launch UN assessment mission in northern Gaza
Secretary of State Antony Blinken emerged from a series of meetings with high-level Israeli officials on Tuesday with an agreement to launch a United Nations-led assessment mission that will pave the way for civilians displaced by warfare in northern Gaza to eventually return home -- a significant step toward restoring a sense of normalcy in the besieged enclave.
“As Israel's campaign moves to a lower intensity phase in northern Gaza, and as the IDF scales down its forces there, we agreed today on a plan for the U.N. to carry out an assessment mission," Blinken said during a press conference in Tel Aviv, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. "It will determine what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return safely to homes in the north."
“Now, this is not going to happen overnight. There are serious security, infrastructure, and humanitarian challenges,” Blinken cautioned. “But the mission will start a process that evaluates these obstacles and how they can be overcome.”
Blinken also forcefully defended Israel from allegations of genocide brought by South Africa before the U.N.’s highest legal body, the International Court of Justice, claiming the case “distracts the world” from vital efforts tied to the conflict.
“Moreover, the charge of genocide is meritless,” Blinken asserted. “It's particularly galling given that those who are attacking Israel -- Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as their supporter, Iran -- continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews.”
But while in Israel during one of several visits he has made to the country since Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise terrorist attacks, Blinken did publicly express some criticism of its government, particularly right-wing officials’ opposition to the creation of an independent Palestinian state -- urging them from the podium to “stop taking steps that undercut Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves effectively.”
The secretary was also asked about calls by two Israeli ministers for the transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza, a stance the State Departmentslammedas “inflammatory and irresponsible” last week.
Blinken said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had assured him that forced resettlement of Palestinians outside of the enclave’s border was not the position of his government.
But even convincing the Israeli government to allow the U.N. to explore pathways for those displaced within Gaza’s perimeter was far from guaranteed.
Since the outbreak of the war, U.S. officials say the Israeli government has been reluctant to allow various types of outside assistance to enter into Gaza out of concern that it will inadvertently benefit Hamas fighters, and that changing the country’s stance often requires face-to-face diplomacy with high-level cabinet members.
Nearly two million people across the Gaza Strip -- the overwhelming majority of its population -- have been displaced at some point during the conflict, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The agency also says it has had extremely limited ability to distribute humanitarian assistance in northern Gaza and share information about conditions in the area since shortly after the fighting began.
Blinken said he had also discussed Israel’s plans to scale down its campaign during closed door meetings, and reaffirmed the Biden administration’s enduring commitment to supporting its fight against Hamas until the threat posed by the designated terrorist group was eliminated.
“We believe Israel has achieved significant progress toward this fundamental objective,” he said.
Some 1,200 people were killed in Israel in the Oct. 7 terror attack, according to the Israeli prime minister's office. More than 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
