Visiting Israel, Blinken steps up US diplomatic pressure for ceasefire despite lingering divisions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza during his visit to Israel, described the ongoing negotiations as “perhaps the last” chance to secure the release of the captives and secure a ceasefire.
Speaking in Tel Aviv on Monday before meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the top U.S. diplomat said he was also working to defuse other regional tensions fueled by the war in Gaza.
Blinken is stepping up U.S. diplomatic pressure to try to reach a deal to end the 10-month conflict after the United States presented proposals last week aimed at bridging gaps between the warring parties.
“This is a defining moment — probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to bring the hostages home, to get a ceasefire, and to put everyone on a better path toward lasting peace and security,” Blinken said on his ninth trip to the region since Israel began its war on Gaza in October.
“I’m here as part of an intensive diplomatic effort, at the direction of President Biden, to try to get this deal done and ultimately get it through… It’s time for everyone to say yes and not make any excuses to say no,” Blinken added.
“It is time to set the record straight. It is also time to ensure that no one takes steps that could derail this process,” he added.
The United States and other Western leaders have called on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacking Israel in retaliation for the recent assassinations of senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials.
Global concern that Israel’s war could escalate into a full-blown regional conflict has grown following the assassinations last month of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Fuad Shukr, a senior commander in the Lebanese group Hezbollah, in Beirut.
“We’re working to make sure that there’s no escalation, that there’s no provocation, that there’s no actions that could in any way prevent us from getting this deal done, or, for that matter, escalate the conflict to other places, and to a greater intensity,” Blinken said.
The diplomat is then due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role, said the Israelis wanted the return “as soon as possible” of prisoners held in Gaza since Hamas abducted them in its Oct. 7 attack. Israel’s war began after Hamas’ surprise attack.
“There is no greater humanitarian goal, no greater humanitarian cause, than the return of our hostages,” Herzog told Blinken.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have mediated a number of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The latest round of talks ended Friday in Qatar without reaching a solution. They are expected to resume this week in Cairo, Egypt.
Hamas has insisted that the ceasefire will end the war permanently, while Israel has said a deal should not prevent it from continuing the war, despite repeated US claims that the deal would end the conflict.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel’s deadly attacks continue, with the death toll from Israeli bombings now standing at more than 40,000, according to Palestinian health officials.