Hamas political leader Ismail Haniya called on US foreign policy chief Anthony Blinken, who is touring the Middle East for the fourth time since October 7, to focus on the “end” of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

“We hope […] that this time it will focus on ending the offensive, with the aim of ending the occupation of all Palestinian landHaniya said in a videotaped statement released by his office last night.

“We hope that Mr. Blinken has been able to learn the lessons of the past three months and understand the extent of the mistakes the United States has made with its blind support” to Israel, adds the leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement, who lives in exile in Qatar.

“The blood shed in the massacres and the horrific destruction cannot lead to security and stability until the Palestinian people obtain their freedom and their independent and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Palestinian movement’s unprecedented attack on the south of the country on October 7 led to the death 1,140 people from the Israeli sidemostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

About 250 people were kidnapped in this attack and taken to Gaza. About a hundred of them were released during a truce in late November.

Since October 7, Israel has been mercilessly bombing the Gaza Stripa confined and densely populated area in which he launched a ground attack on October 27: these military operations left 22,722 deadmainly women and minors, according to today’s report by the Hamas Health Ministry.

The US secretary of state has embarked on a new regional tour in Turkey during which he plans to call for increased aid to Gaza and ways to avoid a regional flare-up.

The humanitarian situation in the besieged territories is regularly described as “catastrophic” by the United Nations.