Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a simple message over the weekend, one that's sure to ruffle feathers among the pro-Hamas crowd with both a thinly veiled swipe at the attempted UN resolution calling for a ceasefire and a sure-fire way to bring about an end to hostilities between Hamas and Israel.
"This could be over tomorrow," Blinken said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday of the war started by Hamas with its barbaric massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis on October 7.
"If Hamas got out of the way of civilians instead of hiding behind them, if it put down its weapons, if it surrendered," Blinken said, ticking off the list of things Hamas should do to end the war it started.
"What there ought to be as well, is a call on behalf of the entire world for Hamas to do just that," he added in an apparent swipe at the United Nations' attempt to pass a resolution calling for a Hamas-aiding ceasefire after Hamas violated the temporary cessation of hostilities during which some Israeli hostages were returned.
"When it comes to a ceasefire in this moment — with Hamas still alive, still intact, and again with the stated intent of repeating October 7 again and again and again — that would simply perpetuate the problem," Blinken said when asked specifically about the UN resolution vetoed by the United States. The Secretary of State again reiterated: "If Hamas were to put down its weapons tomorrow [and] surrender tomorrow, this would be over tomorrow."
"But in the absence of that, Israel has to take steps not only to defend itself against the ongoing attacks from Hamas but against Hamas' stated intent to repeat October 7 again and again if given the opportunity," Blinken emphasized of the lack of options Israel has to protect its citizens as Hamas refuses to surrender.
WATCH:
"This could be over tomorrow", @SecBlinken questions why those who demand a ceasefire, never demand Hamas' surrender.
— Embassy of Israel to the USA | #IsraelUSA75 (@IsraelinUSA) December 11, 2023
Surrender. Disarm. Return the hostages.
Credit: @abcnews pic.twitter.com/bA3sIYXSIS
Hamas, however, after shattering the relative peace in the region with its October 7 massacre and then violating the terms of the pause in fighting in late November, has shown that its only goal is to continue its murderous quest to wipe Israel off the map and kill as many Israeli Jews, Christians, and even Muslims as possible in the process.
Hamas does not care for the residents of Gaza or it wouldn't hide its rocket launchers in schools, conceal its weapons in mosques, and run its terror operations from hospitals. Hamas does not care about peace, or it would not have repeatedly shattered the peace that has previously, however tenuously, existed. Hamas does not care about civilian lives, or it would not launch rockets indiscriminately at homes and schools in Israel. Hamas does not care about babies, or it would not have slaughtered innocents in the kibbutzim of southern Israel.
No, Hamas only cares about one thing: continuing to bring death, violence, and destruction to the region. Either Hamas surrenders, or it must be wiped out once and for all.