“Every day that there is no agreement more abductees may die”: The American Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, held a press conference in Tel Aviv today (Monday), a few minutes after a meeting he held with the families of the abductees held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In Lincoln at the press conference, this evening,
“President Biden sent me with two tasks, to reaffirm our commitment to the security of the State of Israel. In recent weeks, we have sent additional forces to the region. The importance is not to cause aggression, but to warn, and to make it clear that we are ready to defend Israel. Along with this effort, we set out in an international diplomatic effort to send a message to all The parties not to escalate tensions. This is something we have been working on since October 7,” Blinken said.
Biden and Netanyahu in Washington, photo: AFP
“What is most important now is that everyone refrain from taking actions that will escalate and cause further violence. The other goal of my visit is to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the abductees. This is the plan to ensure Israel’s security and ease the suffering in the Gaza Strip,” added the Secretary of State.
Blinken said during a meeting with the families of the American hostages that the atmosphere is positive and that Prime Minister Netanyahu is committed to reaching a deal. “There is enormous pressure on Sinwar and it is important not to pay attention to Hamas statements, Blinken told the families.”
A demonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon Markovich
Blinken’s visit comes against the background of the talks on the abductee deal and reports of some progress towards an agreement on an outline that would allow for a ceasefire in the Strip and the return of abductees. Reports of closed conversations indicate that Blinken expressed understanding for the Israeli position of remaining in the Philadelphia axis also within the framework of a ceasefire with the terrorist organization Hamas. “Now the pressure is on Hamas to show readiness for an agreement. The next important step is for Hamas to say yes to the deal,” he said.
“We need to bring the agreement to the finish line. We are committed to doing it now. I will continue from here to Egypt and Qatar, our main partners. The most important thing is to ensure that Hamas cooperates and implements the agreement. For us there is a tremendous sense of urgency to carry it out. I hear it in Israel And in the entire region, this is the best way for the conflict not to expand,” Blinken added.
PreviousDemonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon MarkovitchDemonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon MarkovitchDemonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon MarkovitchDemonstration in front Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon Markovitch Demonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon Markovitch Demonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, photo: Gideon Markovitch Demonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel During the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, Photo: Gideon Markovitch A demonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, Photo: Gideon Markovitch A demonstration in front of the Kempinski Hotel during the State Secretary’s stay in Lincoln, Photo: Gideon Markovitch Next
“We know that every day that passes and there is no agreement, two things happen: more abductees can die, and the second is that new events may make the agreement impossible. The mediation offer that Netanyahu accepted emphasizes what President Biden presented to the world and it makes it clear that the process will take place in stages. An initial ceasefire of six Weeks with negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages,” Blinken said.
Gaza during the ceasefire (archive), photo: no
“Prime Minister Netanyahu undertook to send the Israeli team to Doha or Egypt. We expect Hamas first and foremost to accept the offer.” Blinken added: “What I say to Hamas and its leadership, if you care about your people, you will reach an agreement that will end the suffering. The real question is whether Hamas really considers the lives of the citizens in Gaza.”
A Hamas terrorist, photo: Arab Networks
“We are concerned about the spread of polio in the Gaza Strip and we are working on a vaccination plan with the Israeli government and hope to make progress with it in the coming weeks.”
On settler violence: “This is a deep concern for us, violence and threats against the Palestinian community in the West Bank. There was an incident a few days ago that led to a response from the Israeli government and we expect to see action that will lead to measures being taken against those responsible for the violence.”
Violence between settlers and Palestinians in Yosh, photo: Getty Images
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this evening: “Today I had a good and important meeting with the Secretary of State in Lincoln. I greatly appreciate the efforts that the United States is investing in regional defense against the Iranian axis. This is of course important to the State of Israel. I also greatly appreciate the understanding that the United States has shown for our essential security interests, while making our joint efforts to release our abductees. And I would like to emphasize: efforts to release the maximum number of abductees alive – already at the first stage of the deal.”
Netanyahu’s meeting in Lincoln, photo: Haim Tzach / L.A.M
Blinken met earlier with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister’s office described the meeting as “positive” and claimed that it was conducted in a good spirit.” In Lincoln also met with Defense Minister Galant, and earlier this morning he met with President Yitzhak Herzog.
The Prime Minister confirmed today that despite the existing disputes in the negotiations in Doha, an Israeli delegation will go to the summit on Wednesday. The two spoke earlier this morning and discussed the hostage deal. Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s commitment to the latest American proposal regarding the release of our hostages – which takes into account Israel’s security needs, on which he firmly stands.
In the morning, Blinken met with the country’s President Yitzhak Herzog and said that “this is a decisive moment, maybe this is the last chance for a hostage deal.” He noted that the updated settlement offer by Washington and the mediators is “probably the best that has been submitted so far,” and said that it is time to stop looking for excuses for refusing the deal.
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