There remains a gap between Israel’s intent to protect civilians and the results on the ground in Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday, adding that Washington talks to Israel on a regular basis about civilian protection, including as recently as Thursday.
“It remains imperative that Israel put a premium on civilian protection. And there does remain a gap between, exactly what I said when I was there, the intent to protect civilians and the actual results that we’re seeing on the ground,” Blinken said at a news conference in Washington following a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
Cameron on Thursday urged US lawmakers to approve fresh aid for Ukraine to help fund Kyiv’s battle against Russian forces.
“I’m not worried about the strength and unity and consensus and bravery of the Ukrainian people … I’m worried that we’re not going to do what we need to do,” Cameron told the Aspen Security Forum in the US capital.
“We’ve got to make sure we give them the weapons, the economic support, the moral support, the diplomatic support, but crucially, that military support that can make a difference.”
Cameron, the former British prime minister, was making his first visit to Washington since he was named to the post of foreign secretary.
Cameron to make first US visit as UK foreign secretary
Cameron to make first US visit as UK foreign secretary
On Wednesday, the US Senate blocked a White House request for US$106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel.
It was a setback for President Joe Biden, who had urged lawmakers to approve the funds, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop with victory in Ukraine and could even attack a Nato nation.
“We should pass this money to the Ukrainians,” Cameron said. “We should back them and make sure that it’s Putin that loses because if that money doesn’t get voted through, there are only two people that will be smiling.”
One of them is Putin, and “the other one is Xi Jinping in Beijing,” Cameron said. “And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to give either of those people a Christmas present.”
Venezuelans vote to back sovereignty claim over swathe of Guyana
Venezuelans vote to back sovereignty claim over swathe of Guyana
Also on Thursday, Cameron warned Venezuela not to take “unilateral action” in its dispute with Guyana over an oil-rich border region, as tensions between the South American neighbors soar.
“These borders were settled in 1899. I see absolutely no case for unilateral action by Venezuela,” Cameron said.
Caracas has vowed not to be deterred from its planned “recovery” of the Essequibo region, which has been administered by Guyana for over a century and is the subject of border litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
Cameron said he hopes to have phone calls later in the day with the president of Guyana and others in the region.
Senator peppers US State Department nominee Kurt Campbell with questions on China
Senator peppers US State Department nominee Kurt Campbell with questions on China
Cameron and Blinken also on Thursday said they had discussed the “vital” US-UK Indian Ocean airbase at Diego Garcia, and Blinken said Washington recognised British sovereignty there.
The airbase is on British Indian Ocean Territory in the Chagos Islands that a vote in the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 said should be returned to Mauritius.
Cameron did not give a specific response at a joint news conference with Blinken when asked about a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper this month that said British Defence Minister Grant Shapps wanted Britain to drop plans to hand back the islands.
“On the issue of the vital US airbase at Diego Garcia, when foreign secretaries and secretaries of state get together, they often discuss the importance of the assets that we share and use around the world, and that is an important one, and we touched on that this afternoon,” Cameron said.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse