Blinken: Israel has no 'convincing plan' to protect civilians in Rafah

(Patria) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the decision to postpone the delivery of 3,500 bombs to Israel due to concerns that they would be used in an attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Blinken believes that Israel lacks a "convincing plan" to protect the 1.4 million civilians who have taken refuge in Rafah.

Speaking on ABC News' 'This Week' program, Blinken said that Joe Biden remains determined to help Israel defend itself and that the delivery of 3,500 bombs weighing 900 and 230 kilograms is the only US arms package that has been held back.

This could change, he noted, if Israel launches a comprehensive attack on Rafah, which Israel says it plans to do to eradicate Hamas fighters.

- Biden has made it clear that if Israel "launches a major operation in Rafah, then there are certain systems that we will not support and supply for that operation.

We are genuinely concerned about how they are used. Israel must have a clear, convincing plan to protect civilians, which we have not yet seen - Blinken said.

1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah, many of whom have been displaced from other parts of Gaza where they fled fighting and Israeli bombing, amid severe shortages of food and water.

At least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to data from the enclave's Ministry of Health.