US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in the Middle East for his latest trip to the region, which he said will focus on Washington’s proposed truce in Gaza and the future of the Palestinian territory after the war.
Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on Monday, renewing U.S. calls for the Palestinian group Hamas to accept a truce deal presented by President Joe Biden in late May.
Speaking to reporters before leaving Egypt, Blinken bluntly accused Hamas of prolonging the war, saying the Palestinian group is an “exception” in the region for not accepting the U.S. deal.
“My message to governments across the region, to people across the region: if you want a ceasefire, put pressure on Hamas to say yes,” he told reporters.
Blinken arrived in Israel later Monday and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will hold further talks this week in Qatar and Jordan.
The State Department said Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ “unwavering” commitment to Israel’s security during his meeting with Netanyahu.
“The Secretary reiterated that the United States and other world leaders would support the comprehensive proposal put forward by President Biden that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and a significant increase and sustained humanitarian aid to be distributed throughout the country. Gaza,” the State Department said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/YoMXIXbVaW
– Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 10, 2024
While Blinken presented the truce plan as a Biden proposal, when Biden made the deal public, he said it was an Israeli plan.
The proposal would provide for a six-week pause in fighting and the release of some Israeli captives in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, allowing negotiations for a permanent ceasefire.
While U.S. officials have insisted that Israel accepts the proposal, various Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have pledged to continue the fight until Hamas is eliminated.
Days before Biden announced his initiative, a senior Israeli official said the army would fight in Gaza at least until the end of the year.
For its part, Hamas has said it will only accept a deal that leads to a lasting end to the war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Hamas reiterated its position on Monday after its political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with officials of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad – a smaller armed group – in Doha.
“The two delegations discussed indirect negotiations and efforts to end the war, stressing that any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the (Gaza) Strip, reconstruction, end siege and a serious exchange (of prisoners),” Hamas said. said in a statement.
The Palestinian group had previously called for an “explicit” commitment from Israel to a lasting ceasefire.
Despite the lack of clarity in the Israeli position, Biden administration officials have repeatedly stated that Hamas is the “only” obstacle to ending the war in Gaza.
On Monday, Blinken said he could not speculate on Hamas’ position or whether the group would accept the plan. He also thanked Egypt for its role in the negotiations, saying Egyptian officials were in communication with Hamas “just a few hours ago.”
The US truce plan does not outline Gaza’s future after the war, but Washington has said it will not accept Hamas’ rule over the territory.
The Biden administration says it wants a “reformed” Palestinian Authority (PA) to ultimately govern Gaza.
But the Israeli government has ruled out allowing the PA based in the occupied West Bank to govern Gaza, with Netanyahu comparing Fatah – the PA’s dominant faction – to Hamas.
The Biden administration, which provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid, has often criticized the U.S. ally for its failure to formulate a long-term plan for Gaza beyond the war.
“It’s critical that we continue to work on plans for the day after, to make sure that when it comes to security in Gaza, when it comes to governance, when it comes to reconstruction, we have the plans in place,” Blinken said. Monday.
“This is going to be a vital part of my conversations here in the region.”
Blinken was asked about an NBC News report that the United States had discussed a unilateral ceasefire agreement to free Gaza captives with American citizenship; he said Washington believed a broader truce agreement was the most effective way to free all prisoners.
The Egyptian presidency said Al-Sisi discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with Blinken, and both sides agreed to intensify efforts to reach an agreement.
“The meeting also saw discussions on Egyptian efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and, to this end, the President stressed the need for international efforts to remove obstacles to humanitarian assistance,” he added.
At least 37,124 people have been killed and 84,712 injured in Israel’s war on Gaza since October, according to Palestinian health officials.
Israel has imposed severe restrictions on the supply of food, water, medical supplies and fuel to Gaza, with the United Nations and humanitarian agencies warning that the territory is on the brink of famine.
Israel launched the war after Hamas carried out an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,139 people, according to an Tel Aviv Tribune tally based on Israeli statistics, and took about 250 more as hostages.
About half of the prisoners were released under a week-long truce agreement in November. About 120 captives remain in Gaza, including 43 whom Israel has declared dead.