The U.
S. State Department has retracted two tweets that appeared to call for Israel to cease its counterattacks against Hamas militants in Gaza, following a wave of criticism.
The tweets were perceived as implying that Israel did not have the right to defend itself or retaliate after Palestinian extremists initiated a surprise attack on multiple fronts last Saturday.
As of Monday morning, the death toll in Israel has surpassed 700, with over 2,000 reported injuries from the attack. These figures do not account for the hostages currently held in Gaza, estimated to be in the hundreds.
A State Department spokesperson also disclosed on Monday that nine Americans have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.
The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs, a division of the State Department, posted on a social media platform on Saturday, stating, "We unequivocally condemn 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." This post has since been removed from the platform.
Jack Posobiec, senior editor at Human Events, questioned the deletion, posting a screenshot of the now-removed tweet and asking, "Hi Antony Blinken! Why did the State Dept just delete this?"
Furthermore, Secretary of State Antony Blinken posted on Sunday about a conversation with his Turkish counterpart regarding Israel's defense against the terrorist attacks. He wrote, "Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and I spoke further on Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel. I encouraged Turkiye's advocacy for a cease-fire and the release of all hostages held by Hamas immediately." This post has also been removed.
Fox News' Guy Benson queried, "Did Sec. Blinken delete the tweet in which he says he asked Turkey to negotiate a ceasefire, prior to Israel's response even really starting?"
Stephen L. Miller, a conservative podcast host, also questioned the deletion, stating, "Why would the admin just delete this post? Either Blinken advocated a ceasefire or he didn't."
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