Tel Aviv, Israel

The State Department said that the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (Jan 9) urged Israel's leaders to avoid civilian harm in the war in Gaza during a crucial visit to the warring nation. 

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Blinken called for maintaining a path towards the creation of a Palestinian state at meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. 

During his tour to West Asian nations amid escalating tensions, Blinken met with top Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. 

The visit aimed at stopping an escalation of the war in the region and reaching a consensus on the territory's future. 

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State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken had reaffirmed US support for Israel's attempts to stop any repeat of the Hamas attack of October 7, which was the main reason behind the start of the war. 

Miller said Blinken then "stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza". 

Also read: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will stay in job, says White House 

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October 7 attack 

Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, official Israeli figures. Hamas had also taken some 250 people as hostages, some of them were later returned as part of a deal in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. 

In the aftermath of the October 7 attack, Israel responded with several strikes on Gaza that have killed at least 23,210 people, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. 

As per the State Department, Blinken and Netanyahu discussed attempts to free the remaining hostages from the October 7 attack, which Israel says number 132, though 25 of them are believed to have been killed. They also talked about the importance of getting more aid to the people of Gaza. 

Watch: Egypt officials: Ceasefire a priority over post-war arrangements

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"The secretary reiterated the need to ensure lasting, sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including by the realisation of a Palestinian state," said Miller. 

Israel's defence minister told Blinken that increasing pressure on Iran was "critical" as it could prevent a regional escalation as the war grinds on in Gaza. "An increase in the pressure placed on Iran is critical and may prevent regional escalation in additional arenas," Yoav Gallant was quoted as saying in a government statement. 

Also read: Highest number of civilian casualties by explosives recorded in 2023, more than any year in over a decade 

Cameron on Israel breaching international law 

Meanwhile, Britain's foreign minister David Cameron said on Tuesday he was worried that Israel might have breached international law in Gaza. 

Cameron said that the advice he had received so far was that Israel was compliant but there were questions to answer. 

During a question-and-answer session with lawmakers, when asked if Israel could be vulnerable to a challenge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague over whether their actions were proportionate, Cameron said the stance was "close to that". 

Cameron did not directly answer lawmakers about whether he had received legal advice that Israel might have broken international law but said some incidents had raised questions over whether there had been breaches.

"Am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed, or whatever? Yes, of course," Cameron said as he took questions from parliament's foreign affairs committee. 

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)