This is the destruction in Gaza after Israel attacks 1:34
Jerusalem (CNN) - The
United States will make "significant contributions" to the reconstruction of Gaza, to be announced later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Jerusalem.
Blinken said the United States "would work to ensure that Hamas does not benefit" from the aid.
The official added that the losses on both sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict were "profound."
Casualties are often reduced to numbers.
But behind each number there is a human being: a daughter, a son, a father, a mother, a grandfather, a best friend.
And as the Talmud teaches, to lose a life is to waste time in the world, whether the life is Palestinian or Israeli, "Blinken said.
Israeli strikes during the recent conflict killed at least 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza.
At least 12 people in Israel, including two children, were killed by Palestinian Islamist fire from Gaza, according to the Israeli army and emergency service.
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This is how the 133 Catholics residing in Gaza live the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israel accepts ceasefire in Gaza 3:08
Blinken met with Netanyahu
Blinken spoke alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday after discussions on the first day of his first official tour of the region.
He said the two had a detailed discussion about Israel's security needs, including the country's defense system known as the Iron Dome.
Netanyahu urged the United States not to return to the Iran nuclear deal.
He said the deal would allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons and said Israel reserved the right to defend itself.
Responding to that, Blinken said only that Washington would "continue to consult" with Israel as the negotiations in Vienna progressed.
Blinken spoke about the rights of Israelis and Palestinians, but did not specifically mention the two-state solution or suggest that comprehensive peace negotiations were imminent.
Antony BlinkenGazaIsrael
