WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday as part of Washington’s intensive diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would end the 10-month war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
Blinken’s 10th visit to the region since the war began in October last year comes days after the United States put forward proposals to resolve the crisis in Gaza that it and mediators Qatar and Egypt believe will bridge the gaps between the warring parties.
US officials indicate new optimism that the deal can be completed, but they also warn that there is still much work to be done.
Blinken is expected to meet in Israel with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
The negotiations are taking place amid fears of regional escalation, as Iran threatens to respond to Israel after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.
Washington has repeatedly warned Iran against proceeding with any retaliatory action against Israel. A US official said such action could have “catastrophic” consequences, especially for Iran.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy expressed their support for the ongoing ceasefire talks, and urged all parties to avoid any “escalatory action.”
Talks on how to implement the agreement are expected to continue this week, before senior officials meet again in Cairo, with the aim of finalizing the agreement later in the week in Cairo.
The Israeli negotiating team expressed “cautious optimism” on Saturday about the possibility of reaching an agreement, according to a statement issued on Saturday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The spokesman for the factions movement told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Israel had added conditions to the ceasefire talks and accused Netanyahu of using them to obstruct the efforts.
Despite growing hopes for a ceasefire, the war has continued. At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza town of al-Zawaida on Saturday evening, health officials said, as Israel issued new evacuation orders, citing Hamas rocket fire from nearby areas.
The latest round of war in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on Oct. 7 when Palestinian militant group fighters stormed into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.
The subsequent Israeli military campaign destroyed large parts of Gaza and killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel says it has killed 17,000 fighters from the Palestinian militant movement.
Reuters
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2024-08-19 06:17:31
