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☆ With $20 Billion Weapons Deal, U.S. Aims to Help Israel and Deter Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Lara Jakes | Johnatan Reiss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Top NewsFor months, the Biden administration waited to formally approve $20 billion in future American weapons sales to Israel, including F-15s and medium-range missiles. Almost none of the arms — which also include tank ammunition, tactical vehicles and mortars — are expected to be delivered to Israel for several years at least. The White House has tried to contain domestic opposition to arms for Israel in Congress, while attempting to keep the war against Hamas from escalating into a wider regional conflict. “We will continue to do what is necessary to ensure Israel can defend itself in the face of these threats.”Image An Israeli F-15 in southern Israel last year. Here is a look at the arms sales that the Biden administration notified Congress on Aug. 13 that it has approved.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, ”, “, Jack Guez, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, —, Bradley Bowman, Mr, Bowman, Israel “, Northrop Grumman, AMRAAMs Organizations: Department, Agence France, Getty, U.S . Army, Foundation of Defense of Democracies, Boeing Corp, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Dynamics, Northrop, Street Journal, CNN, State Department, Tactical, Oshkosh Corp, General Dynamic Ordnance, U.S, AIM, RTX Corp Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Congress, Israeli, Washington, Iran, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Senior U.S. Diplomat Will Lead Kamala Harris’s Running Mate’s Team
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Elizabeth M. Allen, a veteran diplomat and political operative, is stepping down from her position as the U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy to take on a senior role in Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. On Saturday, Ms. Allen will become the chief of staff to Ms. Harris’s running mate, whose selection is expected to be announced in the coming days, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ms. Allen, who has held other State Department posts, is a rare figure to transition between the worlds of diplomacy and national politics. During the 2020 campaign, she was the communications director for Ms. Harris’s vice-presidential operations. Colleagues said Ms. Allen played a larger, intangible role as a key member of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s core team.

Persons: Elizabeth M, Allen, Kamala Harris’s, Harris’s, Obama, Joseph R, Biden, —, Antony J Organizations: Department, House, State Department Locations: Buffalo

☆ Fears of Wider Mideast Conflict Deepen, With U.S. Seen as ‘Not in Control’
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For months, diplomats and analysts in foreign capitals have worried that prolonged political upheaval in the United States could invite aggression abroad, whether in Russia’s waging of war in Ukraine, North Korea’s rogue nuclear ambitions or China’s expansionist designs in the South China Sea. Now, less than 100 days before Americans elect a new president, that broader geopolitical crisis has erupted in the familiar theater of the Middle East. The targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in Beirut and Tehran have deepened fears of a regionwide conflict — one that the United States, caught up in its own political drama at home, may have little capacity to avert or even contain. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States had not been involved in, or even informed of, the operation in Tehran, which the Iranian government swiftly blamed on Israel. To some, Mr. Blinken’s statement confirmed a dangerous power vacuum in the region.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken Locations: United, Ukraine, North, South China, Beirut, Tehran, United States, Israel

☆ U.S. Recognizes Maduro’s Rival as Winner of Venezuelan Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Julie Turkewitz | More About Julie Turkewitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States on Thursday night recognized Venezuela’s opposition presidential candidate, Edmundo González, as the winner of the country’s disputed presidential election. The announcement, by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, comes despite a claim by the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, and by the government-controlled electoral body, that Mr. Maduro won the vote. Mr. Maduro has yet to produce clear evidence of a victory, and election officials have failed to provide a vote count. Mr. González campaign says that it has receipts from more than 80 percent of voting machines that indicate that he won the election by an insurmountable margin. Mr. Blinken, in a statement, said that “given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s” presidential election on Sunday.

Persons: Edmundo González, Antony J, Blinken, Nicolás Maduro, Maduro, González, Edmundo González Urrutia, Venezuela’s Locations: States, United States, Venezuela’s ”

☆ U.S. Pledges $500 Million in New Military Aid to the Philippines, as China Asserts Sea Claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday an additional $500 million of military aid to the Philippines, further bolstering the defense alliance between the two nations while the Philippine military is grappling with aggressive actions by Chinese ships in the South China Sea. The U.S. and Philippine governments have deepened their military alliance since Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. became president of the Philippines two years ago. Unlike his predecessor, who favored an opening with China, Mr. Marcos has leaned into ties with the United States. It was the first time that such a so-called 2+2 session between the allied nations has taken place in the Philippines. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III arrived in Manila on Monday night as part of a diplomatic mission to the Indo-Pacific region.

Persons: Ferdinand R, Marcos Jr, Marcos, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Lloyd J, Austin III Organizations: Biden, Mr Locations: Philippines, Philippine, South China, The U.S, China, United States, Hawaii, Manila, Europe, Asia, Russia

Tensions were running high on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday in anticipation of an escalation in hostilities, after Israel’s security cabinet authorized its leaders to decide on the nature and timing of an Israeli military response to a deadly rocket attack from Lebanon last weekend. The Israeli military said overnight that its aerial defense systems successfully intercepted an unmanned aircraft that crossed from Lebanon into northwestern Israel. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on those attacks. Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the rocket attack Saturday that struck a soccer field in Majdal Shams. But the Israeli military said the type of rocket used in the attack is Iranian-made and carries more than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives.

Persons: Majdal Shams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Antony J, Blinken, Isaac Herzog, “, Matthew Miller, Adrienne Watson, Gallant, ”, Mohamed Awada, Hwaida Saad, Edward Wong, Gabby Sobelman, Myra Noveck Organizations: Hezbollah, Israel’s, United, State Department, U.S . National Security Council, Lufthansa Group, East Airlines, Lebanon’s Locations: Lebanon, Majdal, Golan, Israel, Iran, United States, Gaza, Tokyo, Majdal Shams, Iranian, Beirut’s, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ As Trump Looms, Blinken Aims to Reassure Allies on U.S. Commitment to Asia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For three and a half years, President Biden and his aides have insisted that the United States is a Pacific power, and that its allies and partners in the region need not worry about Washington’s commitments. Now Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken plans to deliver assurances in person across six nations, his most ambitious trip in the region. Mr. Biden’s announcement last Sunday that he is no longer running for re-election sent shock waves around the world. Many of America’s allies are especially concerned about a second Trump presidency, given that former President Donald J. Trump has constantly declared that those allies are conning the United States into providing military support. They are uncertain if Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, can beat him in November.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Donald J, Trump, Kamala Harris Organizations: U.S, Trump, Democratic Locations: United States, Pacific, Vientiane, Laos

☆ Blinken Says Gaza Cease-Fire Deal Is ‘Inside the 10-Yard Line’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( David E. Sanger | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Friday that an agreement to free hostages held in Gaza and establish a cease-fire was close, as administration officials prepared for what they expected to be a tense visit to Washington next week by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Blinken, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, said that the talks were “inside the 10-yard line.” Hours later at the same conference, Mr. Sullivan said there was no expectation that an agreement would be reached before Mr. Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, a speech some American officials fear could throw up new obstacles to an agreement with Hamas. Mr. Sullivan said Mr. Biden would “focus his energy” in his meetings with Mr. Netanyahu “to get this deal done in the coming weeks.”“We are mindful that there remain obstacles in the way,” Mr. Sullivan said, “and let’s use next week to try to clear through those obstacles.”

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Israel’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sullivan, Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu “, ”, ” Mr Organizations: Aspen Security, Mr Locations: Gaza, Washington, Colorado

☆ NATO’s Pledges to Ukraine Fall Short for a Counteroffensive This Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Lara Jakes | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Despite billions of dollars in additional weapons and security assistance that NATO announced this week, allied officials said Ukraine would not be ready to launch a dramatic counteroffensive or retake large swaths of territory from Russia until next year. Donations of missiles, combat vehicles, ammunition and air defenses from the United States and European countries will take weeks, if not months, to reach the front lines. Some of the newly committed weapons have not yet been bought or built. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said long-anticipated F-16s fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine this summer. “This is a huge disappointment for me personally, because Ukrainians are expecting that those goods will come, this military equipment will reach Ukraine, but it’s not happening.”

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, “, Gitanas Nauseda, ” Organizations: NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Washington, Lithuania

☆ Middle East Crisis Israeli and U.S. Defense Chiefs to Discuss the Conflicts With Hamas and Hezbollah
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Ephrat Livni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. and Israeli defense chiefs, Lloyd J. Austin III and Yoav Gallant, at a December news conference in Tel Aviv. Mr. Gallant is meeting with Mr. Austin on his third day of talks with senior Biden administration officials. Mr. Gallant and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met in Washington on Monday. That was a recurring theme in American officials’ talks with Mr. Gallant this week. On Monday, Mr. Gallant met with William J. Burns, the C.I.A.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Yoav Gallant, Gallant’s, Patrick S, Ryder, Mr, Gallant, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Matthew Miller, “, Khan Younis, ”, Antony J, Blinken, Miller, ’, “ We’ve, General Ryder, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Netanyahu, William J, Burns, Jake Sullivan Organizations: U.S, Pentagon . Defense, Pentagon, Defense Department, Biden, American, State Department, Hamas, Mr, Lebanese, Israel Locations: Tel Aviv, Washington, Gaza, Lebanon, “, Israel, Gen, United States, Rafah, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Beirut

An Israeli strike killed a top official in charge of ambulance services in the Gaza Strip, local health officials said on Monday, as the Israeli defense minister met with top American officials in Washington about a possible new phase in the Israeli offensive. The official, Hani al-Jafarawi, who was the director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza, was killed in a strike on a health clinic in Gaza City, the Gazan Health Ministry said. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. The meetings in the Washington area by Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, with the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Monday coincided with a potential shift in the military campaign signaled by Israeli officials in recent days.

Persons: Hani al, Muhammad Salah, Israel’s pulverizing, Yoav Gallant, William J, Burns, Antony J, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Organizations: Gazan Health Ministry, Hamas, Health Ministry Locations: Gaza, Washington, Gaza City, Israel

☆ Israel’s Defense Minister Heads to Washington Amid Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

We did that time after time,” Mr. Netanyahu said, adding that he had also tried working behind closed doors. U.S. officials said at the time that they found the video “perplexing” and did not know what Mr. Netanyahu was talking about. Mr. Gallant was invited to Washington by his counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, according to Mr. Gallant’s office. “The United States is our most important and central ally,” Mr. Gallant said shortly before his departure. Mr. Gallant and Mr. Netanyahu are themselves rivals who have openly clashed in recent months, even as they jointly oversee Israel’s military operations.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Mr, Biden, Netanyahu, ” Mr, ”, excoriating, Gallant, Lloyd J, Austin III, Antony J, Gabby Sobelman Organizations: Israel, Biden, U.S, United, Hezbollah, Lebanese, Defense, White Locations: Gaza, Washington, United States, Jerusalem, Israel, Iran, Lebanon

☆ Why a Gaza Cease-Fire Is So Elusive
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel called Hamas’s response to the latest peace proposal for Gaza “negative.” Hamas insisted it was dealing with it “positively.”Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, speaking in Qatar, said Hamas had demanded changes, some of which were “workable” and some not. A Hamas official told an Arabic television channel that the group had not raised any new ideas, and that Mr. Blinken saw things through an Israeli lens and “speaks Hebrew.”The Biden administration has pledged to keep working with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators to bridge the gaps. But after days of intensive diplomacy in the region, a monthslong effort to end the war in Gaza seems as stuck as ever, as each side clings stubbornly to maximalist demands unacceptable to the other. Asked at the Group of 7 summit meeting in Italy if he still thought a deal could be reached, President Biden said, “I haven’t lost hope, but it’s going to be tough.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Antony J, Blinken, ”, Biden, “ Organizations: Qatari, Group Locations: Gaza, Qatar, Italy

A day after the United Nations Security Council endorsed a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal for the Gaza Strip, the focus shifted on Tuesday to the willingness of Israel and Hamas, under growing international pressure to end the war, to make a deal. Each side made positive but vague statements about the cease-fire plan and blamed the other for prolonging a war that has devastated Gaza. But neither said it would formally embrace the proposal, which was outlined last month in a speech by President Biden and was the basis of the 14-0 vote in the Security Council on Monday. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, touring the region for the eighth time since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault on Israel, said on Tuesday that the fate of the cease-fire proposal rested with Hamas’s top leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, countered that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was “the sole obstacle to reaching an agreement that would end the war.”

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Yahya Sinwar, Husam, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Organizations: United Nations Security, Security, Hamas Locations: U.S, Gaza, Israel

☆ Here’s a Look at the U.N.-Backed Plan to Stop the War in Gaza.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The U.N. Security Council on Monday endorsed a cease-fire plan for the Gaza Strip that is backed by the United States, adding weight to an international effort to end the eight-month war. Neither Israel nor Hamas has publicly accepted the plan, but Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Tuesday held talks in the region to press for its adoption. Here’s a look at how the cease-fire would work, and at some of the areas of dispute between the warring parties. Israeli forces would withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, and more humanitarian aid would be distributed in the enclave. Civilians, most of whom have been displaced, would be free to return to their homes, including in northern Gaza, an area devastated by Israeli airstrikes and fighting.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken Organizations: . Security, Gaza, Hamas Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza

☆ New Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal Puts Spotlight on Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Rejecting the deal, Mr. Blinken said, would put Mr. Sinwar’s political interests ahead of those of civilians. Hamas could be “looking after one guy,” Mr. Blinken said, referring to Mr. Sinwar. Mr. Sinwar was an architect of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage. Mr. Blinken said on Tuesday that Mr. Netanyahu had “reaffirmed” his commitment to the plan in private talks in Jerusalem. Hamas has constructed a network of tunnels beneath Gaza to shield the group from Israeli surveillance and attack.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Antony J, Blinken, Sinwar, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, “, Khan Younis Organizations: . Security, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, United States, Israel, Jerusalem . U.S, Khan

The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-backed cease-fire plan for the Gaza Strip with only Russia abstaining, a sign of the growing frustration among the world’s major powers over the war and the desire to bring it to an end. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told members of the Security Council that Israel had already agreed to the deal laid out in the resolution — although Israel has so far resisted taking a public position on it — and she urged Hamas “to do the same.”“Hamas can now see that the international community is united, united behind a deal that will save lives and help Palestinian civilians in Gaza start to rebuild and heal,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. The 14-0 vote may strengthen the hand of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who returned to the Middle East on Monday to press Hamas and Israel to agree to a cease-fire.

Persons: Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Israel, “, ”, Ms, Thomas, Antony J, Blinken Organizations: United Nations Security, United Nations, Security Council Locations: U.S, Gaza, Russia, Israel

☆ Blinken Hints U.S. May Allow Ukraine Greater Latitude to Strike in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken left open the possibility on Friday that President Biden could allow Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike at a broader array of targets inside Russia, going beyond attacks he has approved on launch sites the Russians are using for their current assault on the Kharkiv area. “Going forward, we’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing, which is: As necessary, adapt and adjust,” Mr. Blinken said at a news conference in Prague at the end of a two-day meeting of top diplomats from member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Mr. Blinken was responding to a reporter’s question on whether the United States might give permission for Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike deeper into Russia. American officials then said on Thursday that Mr. Biden had made that decision in recent days and told the Ukrainians, but that the permission to strike in Russia was limited to sites the Russians were using for the assault on Kharkiv. U.S. officials said the ban on Ukraine using weapons for “long range” attacks in Russia had not changed.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, we’ll, Mr Organizations: Atlantic Treaty Organization Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv, Prague, United States, Chisinau, Moldova, Kharkiv .

☆ Biden to Allow Ukraine to Use U.S. Weapons to Strike Inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A senior American official in Washington said the administration’s policy prohibiting Ukraine from using U.S.-made weapons for “long range” attacks inside Russia had not changed. He was responding to a question about whether Mr. Biden would soon allow Ukraine to use American-made weapons to strike in Russia. The Pentagon is charged with giving Ukraine the exact guidelines of what it can strike in Russia, U.S. officials said. In addition to artillery and missile launchers, the Ukrainians are concerned about Russian aircraft releasing glide bombs at Kharkiv from inside Russian airspace. Ukrainian officials say they want to use American-made weapons to attack Russian aircraft in Russia’s airspace and air bases inside Russia.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Mr, Biden Organizations: American, NATO, Politico, Pentagon Locations: Washington, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, United States, France, Germany, Prague, U.S, Kharkiv

☆ From Allies and Advisers, Pressure Grows on Biden to Allow Attacks on Russian Territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden is edging toward what may prove to be one of his most consequential decisions in the Ukraine war: whether to reverse his ban on shooting American weapons into Russian territory. He has long resisted authorizing Ukraine to use U.S. weapons inside Russia because of concern it could escalate into a direct American confrontation with a nuclear-armed adversary. Now, after months of complaints about the restrictions from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House has begun a formal — and apparently rapid — reassessment of whether to take the risk. Approving further uses of U.S. weapons would give Kyiv a way to conduct counterattacks on artillery and missile sites that now enjoy something of a safe haven just inside Russia. On Wednesday, in Moldova, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken became the first administration official to publicly leave open the possibility that the Biden administration might “adapt and adjust” its stance about attacking inside Russia with American weapons, based on changing battlefield conditions.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Antony J, Blinken Organizations: White Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moldova

☆ Blinken Hints U.S. May Accept Ukrainian Strikes in Russia With American Arms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken suggested on Wednesday that the Biden administration could be open to tolerating strikes by the Ukrainian military inside Russia, saying that the United States would “adapt and adjust” its stance based on changing conditions on the battlefield. Mr. Blinken said that the United States had neither encouraged nor enabled such attacks. But he said that the Ukrainians needed to make their own decisions on how to best defend themselves — a position he has stated before — and that the U.S. government had “adapted and adjusted as necessary” as the war evolves. When asked by a reporter whether his words meant the United States could support attacks by Ukraine inside Russia, he said, “Adapt and adjust means exactly that.”Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Washington has sent the Ukrainians military aid but has repeatedly asked that they not fire U.S.-made weapons into Russian territory for fear of escalating the war.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, — Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Washington, U.S

☆ Inside the White House, a Debate Over Letting Ukraine Shoot U.S. Weapons Into Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since the first American shipments of sophisticated weapons to Ukraine, President Biden has never wavered on one prohibition: President Volodymyr Zelensky had to agree to never fire them into Russian territory, insisting that would violate Mr. Biden’s mandate to “avoid World War III.”But the consensus around that policy is fraying. Propelled by the State Department, there is now a vigorous debate inside the administration over relaxing the ban to allow the Ukrainians to hit missile and artillery launch sites just over the border in Russia — targets that Mr. Zelensky says have enabled Moscow’s recent territorial gains. The proposal, pressed by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken after a sobering visit to Kyiv last week, is still in the formative stages, and it is not clear how many of his colleagues among Mr. Biden’s inner circle have signed on. It has not yet been formally presented to the president, who has traditionally been the most cautious, officials said. The State Department spokesman, Matthew A. Miller, declined to comment on the internal deliberations over Ukraine policy, including Mr. Blinken’s report after his return from Kyiv.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Antony J, Matthew A, Miller, Blinken’s Organizations: State Department, The State Department Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv

☆ Biden and Blinken Accuse I.C.C. Prosecutor of Falsely Equating Israel and Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden on Monday condemned the decision by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for two top Israeli officials — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant — when he issued warrants for the leaders of Hamas, saying in a White House statement that “whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.”Mr. Biden’s decision to stand firmly behind Mr. Netanyahu was echoed by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who called the move by the prosecutor, Karim Khan, “shameful” in a statement that said the United States rejected his “equivalence of Israel with Hamas.”Mr. Blinken accused Mr. Khan of going “on cable television to announce the charges” even as his staff canceled a planned visit to Israel to discuss the I.C.C.’s inquiry into Israel’s conduct of the war. “These and other circumstances call into question the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation,” he said. “It is shameful,” Mr. Blinken said of the prosecutor’s decision to issue warrants for leaders of both sides in the conflict, implying their equivalence. “Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans. This decision does nothing to help, and could jeopardize, ongoing efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement that would get hostages out and surge humanitarian assistance in.”

Persons: Biden, Court’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant —, ” Mr, Netanyahu, Antony J, Blinken, Karim Khan, Mr, Khan, ” Organizations: —, Hamas Locations: Israel, United States

☆ Top U.S. Official Visits Israel as Allies Urge Limits on Rafah Incursion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The United States has repeatedly called on Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Earlier this month, President Biden said in an interview with CNN that the United States would not supply weapons for a major Israeli offensive in Rafah. Hamas said its fighters had fired on Israeli troops in eastern Rafah and close to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. In the interim, tensions between the United States and Israel over the Rafah invasion and Israel’s conduct of the war have escalated. Mr. Sullivan is expected to try to advance the deal in his meeting with the Israeli leader.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Benjamin Netanyahu, John Kirby, Sullivan, Netanyahu, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Antony J, Blinken, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Mohammed, Vivian Nereim Organizations: U.S, Sunday, United, White House, Washington . Credit, Reuters, CNN, Crown, Saudi Press Agency Locations: United States, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Washington ., Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian, U.S, Saudi

☆ Israel-Hamas War in Gaza: Latest Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Matt Surman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The United States has repeatedly called on Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Credit... Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters Mr. Sullivan is expected to stress the need for a targeted approach to fighting Hamas in Gaza and to emphasize American opposition to a full-scale attack on Rafah. Mr. Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, a visit that had been slated for April originally but was delayed after the U.S. official cracked a rib. In the interim, tensions between the United States and Israel over the Rafah invasion and Israel’s conduct of the war have escalated. Mr. Sullivan is expected to try to advance the deal in his meeting with the Israeli leader.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Benjamin Netanyahu, John Kirby, Sullivan, Netanyahu, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Antony J, Blinken, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: U.S, Sunday, United, White House, Washington . Credit, Reuters, CNN, Senate, Crown Locations: United States, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Washington ., Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian, U.S, Saudi

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