US officials call for Israeli restraint, then regret it, delete posts
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The transformation in rhetoric indicates the US support of "Israel's" brutal attack on Gaza under the guise of "self-defense".
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets the media at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, Finland, on Friday, June 2, 2023 (AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed a tweet calling for a ceasefire, the second time in a few days that US authorities have deleted comments calling for Israeli restraint.
In his X post, Blinken recounted a discussion with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in which he "encouraged Turkey's advocacy for a cease-fire and the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas," which differed from the official US interpretation of the call, which did not include such language.
The ceasefire clause was changed to "Israel has the right to defend itself, rescue any hostages, and protect its citizens."
This comes on the heels of a similar event involving the State Department's Office of Palestinian Affairs, which first stated that it "unequivocally condemned the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred. We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing."
The office replaced the message with messages transmitting and reposting the US Embassy's notifications to citizens on the ground, as well as quoting US officials who "unequivocally" condemned the "attacks".
The transformation in rhetoric indicates the US support of "Israel's" brutal attack on Gaza under the guise of "self-defense", which has been bolstered by the deployment of Navy and military aircraft, the supplementing of existing Air Force units, and the provision of more equipment and weapons to the Israeli military.
Iraq warns US will be targeted if it meddles in Palestine
Earlier, Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada of Iraq warned Washington against any interference in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
According to Lebanese news outlet Al-Ahed, the group stressed that "Palestine is not Ukraine" and that any interference or support the US extends to the Israeli entity would make US bases in the region targets for the Resistance.
The Group expressed that any support would be met with retaliation and zero red lines would remain uncrossed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Monday to "change the Middle East" in "Israel's" war on Gaza, as the occupation launches continuous airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza has resulted in over 560 Palestinian martyrs, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
