Blinken Blames Hamas for End of Gaza Truce as Fighting Ramps Up
- Top US diplomat pressed Israel to protect civilians in war
- Discussions also focused on what happens after conflict ends
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed Hamas for the end of a week-long truce that saw dozens of hostages released from the Gaza Strip, as fighting intensified and Israel signaled it would widen its campaign in the territory’s south.
Blinken told reporters Hamas had gone back on promises to release some hostages and had fired rockets that killed civilians in Jerusalem while the cease-fire was still in place. Those remarks echoed similar claims from Israel, which had said Hamas didn’t free all the women it had vowed to let go.