US Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced intense criticism from journalists during his final press conference regarding the war in Gaza. On Thursday (January 16), journalists, who have been vocal critics of US support for Israel, repeatedly interrupted Blinken’s statements and attacked him with harsh words. British news agency Reuters reported this incident.
Israel’s offensive on Gaza has been identified as a key aspect of the outgoing Biden administration’s foreign policy. Although a ceasefire agreement was reached on Wednesday with the Palestinian armed group Hamas, the conflict’s repercussions remain.
Independent journalist Sam Husseini shouted, “Criminal! Why aren’t you at The Hague?” referring to the International Criminal Court located in The Hague. Eventually, security personnel removed him from the room.
On October 7, 2023, following Hamas’ attack that killed 1,200 people and took approximately 250 hostages, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks have so far killed over 46,000 Palestinians. The operation has displaced nearly 2.3 million people from their homes in Gaza.
Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal asked Blinken, “Why did you continue supplying bombs despite the agreement in May?” Security personnel also removed him from the room.
Blinken calmly urged journalists to remain silent and later responded to their questions. He stated that it was not possible to reach a final conclusion regarding international law violations, as Hamas was taking shelter among civilians.
Blinken explained that most Israelis supported Israel’s policies after the October 7 incident, and this had to be taken into account in their response.
He further noted that hundreds of cases were under investigation in Israel. He emphasized that Israel has processes, procedures, and the rule of law, which are characteristics of any democracy.