US says Gaza casualties ‘too high’ but dismisses genocide claim against Israel

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States views South Africa’s accusation of genocide against Israel as “meritless”, and emphasised that the ongoing civilian casualties in Gaza due to the war are “far too high”.

Blinken made the comment at a press conference after talks in Tel Aviv with Israeli leaders.

He also added that numerous Middle Eastern nations are prepared to invest in Gaza's future, but only with a clear pathway to a Palestinian state.

He said that Palestinians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow them to, while adding that the US rejects any proposal advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza.

Blinken added that the US has had extensive discussions with Israeli officials about avoiding regional spread of conflict. He said that both the US and Israel believe that a diplomatic path is the best way to achieve security.

"We want this war to end as soon as possible," Blinken said. "It is vital Israel achieve its objective that 7 October can never happen again."