The approval reportedly occurred during intense Security Cabinet meetings held between October 16 and 17, 2023, in Tel Aviv.
According to DSN, Blinken participated directly in these discussions from within Kirya, Israel’s main military headquarters, where he and Israeli officials debated the wording of the decision. Citing Channel 12 reporter Yaron Avraham, the report states that Blinken's involvement culminated in an agreement, finalized around 3 a.m., allowing Israel to launch strikes against aid convoys suspected of being intercepted by Hamas.
Channel 13 also confirmed the report, noting that Blinken was in continuous communication with Israeli ministers during the deliberations. Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer was reportedly the key figure mediating between Blinken’s team and the Israeli Cabinet.
On October 18, Israel officially announced its stance, stating that humanitarian supplies from Egypt, including food, water, and medicine, would be allowed into Gaza but only for civilians in the southern region. Supplies that reached Hamas, however, would be "thwarted," a term Israeli officials often use to describe targeted strikes, according to DSN.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich later revealed that the Cabinet had been assured any aid hijacked by Hamas would be bombed from the air, a policy conveyed as a threat to Egypt.
When approached for comment, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel dismissed the report as “absurd” but did not directly address whether Blinken had approved strikes on Hamas fighters allegedly commandeering aid convoys.
The DSN report also highlighted a troubling trend: Israel has been responsible for over 75% of humanitarian worker deaths globally since October 2023, making Israeli strikes the leading cause of fatalities among aid workers. This statistic, along with the intensity of attacks in Gaza, led to two U.S. government offices recommending a suspension of weapons shipments to Israel. Despite this, Blinken reportedly ignored these recommendations and misrepresented the situation to Congress.
These allegations have fueled ongoing debates about U.S. involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and raised concerns about the safety of humanitarian workers in the region. (ILKHA)