U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells Israel to take 'every possible precaution' to avoid civilian deaths as massive ground invasion of Gaza imminent

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel on Friday to avoid civilian deaths as it prepares to invade Gaza.

"We have urged the Israelis to use every possible precaution to avoid harm to civilians," Blinken said at a press conference in Qatar.

Qatar is seeking to open a humanitarian corridor so aid can reach Gaza.

Qatari Prime Minister Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani called on the United States to save civilians from the consequences of the crisis.

Israel has warned over one million people in Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours to minimize civilian casualties.

The ground invasion is a response to the murderous onslaught carried out last weekend by Gaza-based, Iranian-backed terror group Hamas, which killed hundreds of men, women and children in Israel. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during their meeting in Lusail on October 13, 2023

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Qatar

Blinken said he discussed with the Qatari Prime Minister the importance of preventing any state or terror group from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

He also said the United States was working intensively to secure the release of hostages, including Americans, taken to Gaza by Hamas.

Meanwhile, a former key adviser to Barack Obama called on Israel to show restraint as it prepares to invade Gaza.

Ben Rhodes, who was Obama's deputy national security advisor, has ben described as having a 'mind meld' with Obama on foreign policy.

Rhodes said Joe Biden should communicate to Benjamin Netanyahu to not make decisions based on 'anger and fear'.

He wrote on X: 'The decisions being made now are going to impact millions of lives, reverberate for generations, and risk all kinds of escalation.

'The U.S. should have learned from 9/11 the profound cost of being guided by anger and fear. I hope that is what we are telling the Israeli government.'

He added; 'I can't imagine the emotions in Israel right now after the horror of what Hamas did, the unfathomable loss, the sense of vulnerability.

'I do remember witnessing 9/11 in New York and the sense of momentum it created into wars - none of which ended as anyone planned.'

President Obama with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor, in the White House in 2012

In Qatar, Blinken said he was focused on creating safe zones for civilians in Gaza.

He said the U.S. was acvtively engaged with relief agencies.

Blinken added that every country should condemn Hamas and hold them accountable.

He said: 'No country can tolerate having a terrorist group come in and slaughter its people in the most unconscionable way and live like that.

'What Israel is doing it's not retaliation, what Israel is doing is defending the lives of its people and trying to make sure that this cannot happen again.'