Israel's attack on Rafah will not eliminate Hamas

“There is a possibility that Israel is on the verge of inheriting an insurgency with many armed Hamas fighters left behind or if Israeli forces leave, there will be a vacuum of chaos and anarchy that could be filled by Hamas,” Secretary of State Blinken said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Asked if the US agreed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Israeli forces have killed more civilians than Hamas militants since the war began on October 7, Blinken simply replied: "Yes, we think so." Blinken also confirmed that President Biden had halted the delivery of 3,500 "high-yield" bombs to Israel over concerns that Israel would drop them on Rafah. Blinken said the US was continuing to press Israeli leaders for a post-war plan for Gaza. "We haven't seen a plan for what happens after the war in Gaza is over," he told NBC, adding: "We've talked to them about a much better way to achieve a long-term outcome."

The US secretary of state said Hamas militants had returned to certain areas in northern Gaza that Israel had “liberated”. Mr Blinken said a full-scale attack could be “extremely costly” and that Israel “would have to endure a long-term insurgency”.

Asked about a State Department report released Friday that Israel may have violated international law in its use of US weapons, Blinken said there was still too little evidence to warrant ending all military support.
The chaos and danger of an ongoing war makes it “very difficult” to determine exactly what is happening or what type of weapon is used in any particular action, he said.
Republicans have sharply criticized President Biden for halting the limited supply of bombs. Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the Armed Services Committee, told CBS that the State Department report “is crystal clear: There is no evidence that Israel violated international law.” He said Israel “is doing more than any military in history to prevent civilian casualties.”