US Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes statements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the media inside the Kirya, which houses the Defense Ministry, after their meeting, Tel Aviv, October 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
After Israel warned Palestinians at midnight on Friday to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours, the State Department circulated internal memos to its officials warning them against using the phrases “de-escalation/ceasefire;” “end to violence/bloodshed” and “restoring calm,” the Huffington Post reports.
The memo indicates that the US does not plan to call on Israel to exercise restraint when responding to the Hamas onslaught.