Egypt’s leader criticises Israel’s Gaza operation as Blinken extends travels

Egypt’s president criticised Israel’s military operation in Gaza in a stern pushback to the United States as America’s top diplomat extended his travels across the Middle East trying to prevent the war with Hamas from igniting a broader regional conflict.

With an Israeli ground offensive looming, US secretary of state Antony Blinken reaffirmed in some of his strongest language to date that Washington would stand with Israel “today, tomorrow and every day” in a partnership of shared democratic values, but that Israel must take “every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians”.