No sign Israel has lowered intensity of Gaza offensive, Blinken says

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Monday there was no sign Israel had downgraded the intensity of its offensive on the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli statements that it was shifting to a lower intensity phase.

“We’ve heard the Israelis talk about a significant downshift in their operations in Gaza. It remains to be seen,” Blinken said at an event hosted by the Brookings Institute think tank in Washington DC.

For weeks, Israeli officials have signalled they are downshifting their offensive on the Gaza Strip, even as its military continues to pummel the enclave, inflicting a staggering number of civilian deaths. On Saturday, at least 40 Palestinians were killed and 224 wounded in 24 hours alone.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the death toll in Gaza has risen to at least 37,843, with 86,858 injured.

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