TEL AVIV, Israel—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday pushed back against growing U.S. pressure for a “humanitarian pause” in the war to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza, insisting there would be no temporary cease-fire until some 240 hostages were released.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his third trip to Israel since the war began, reiterating American support for Israel’s battles against the Hamas terrorist group, while echoing President Joe Biden’s earlier call for a brief halt in the fighting to address a worsening humanitarian crisis.
