Watan-A group of supporters of Palestine gathered outside the US State Department building as Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, arrived to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Footage showed Galant stepping out of a car that brought him to the US State Department headquarters, while chants of “Free Palestine” echoed in the background.

Galant appeared taken aback by the scene, casting several glances towards the gathering of Palestine supporters, with signs of surprise evident on his face.

Meeting between Blinken and Galant

During a meeting in Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant of the risks of invading the city of Rafah in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.

#بالفيديو | وزير الأمن الإسرائيلي يواجه بهتافات “#فلسطين حرة” من المتظاهرين خارج مبنى وزارة الخارجية الأميركية لدى وصوله للقاء بلينكن.#طوفان_الأقصى #الميادين pic.twitter.com/IHsI1ais44

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) March 25, 2024

Blinken reiterated the United States’ rejection of such a large-scale military operation. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated in a release that Blinken reiterated US support for ensuring the defeat of Hamas, including in Rafah, but reiterated opposition to a large-scale ground and air operation in Rafah.

He added that the US Secretary stressed the existence of other solutions besides a large-scale ground invasion, solutions that would better ensure Israel’s security and protect Palestinian civilians, according to the statement.

Israeli-American tensions

The meeting between Blinken and Galant took place at the State Department in Washington on Monday, just hours after Israel cancelled a planned visit by a high-level delegation to the US capital.

Israel canceled the visit in protest against Washington’s failure to use its veto power in the UN Security Council to prevent the issuance of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.