U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to safeguard Gaza civilians as Israel's forces continued bombarding Gaza. Blinken visited Israel for the second time in a month to demonstrate U.S. support for its close ally Israel's military response to the October 7 Hamas attack that killed around 1,400 Israelis. Blinken affirmed Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas attacks but emphasized that civilian protection and assistance efforts for Gaza residents not responsible for the violence must also be prioritized. Gaza health authorities say at least 9,227 people - many of them women and children - have been killed since Israel started its blitz on the enclave of 2.3 million people in retaliation for the Hamas rampage in southern Israel.