WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer that further escalation of the conflict in Lebanon will only make it more difficult for civilians to return to their homes on both sides of the border, the State Department said in a statement of their meeting.
Yesterday, Thursday, Israel rejected international calls for a ceasefire with the Lebanese factions, defying its biggest ally in Washington, and continued the strikes that killed hundreds in Lebanon and increased fears of the outbreak of a comprehensive regional war.
Despite Israel’s position, the United States and France sought to keep the possibilities of reaching a 21-day truce they proposed alive, and said that negotiations were continuing, including on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting in New York.
The US State Department said in the statement, “The Minister discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on a 21-day ceasefire along the border between Israel and Lebanon.”
She added, “He stressed that further escalation in the conflict will only make this goal (the return of civilians) more difficult.”
The ministry indicated that Blinken also discussed the efforts made to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and the steps that Israel must take to improve the mechanisms for accessing humanitarian aid in the Strip, where nearly 2.3 million people have been displaced and there is a hunger crisis.
On May 31, US President Joe Biden put forward a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza in three stages, but the agreement faced obstacles, mostly due to Israel’s demands to maintain its presence in the Philadelphia (Salah al-Din) Corridor on the Gaza border with Egypt, and specific details regarding the exchange of Israeli hostages in exchange for… Palestinian detainees.
Washington is facing increasing international and local criticism over its support for Israel amid the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have killed hundreds in recent days.
Critics say Washington did not use its aid to pressure Israel to accept ceasefire calls. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
Reuters
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2024-09-28 04:59:41