Washington – The US State Department announced on Friday that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will travel to Israel on Saturday to continue diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The visit comes after mediators in the Gaza ceasefire talks announced that the United States had presented a new proposal to narrow the gaps between Israel and the Palestinian factions movement.
This was stated in a joint Egyptian-Qatari-American statement published by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, at the conclusion of the second and final day of a round of talks hosted by the Qatari capital, Doha.
“This proposal would achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages, ensure the distribution of humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza Strip, and create the conditions necessary for broader regional stability,” State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement.
Patel confirmed that “Blinken will head to Israel on Saturday to continue diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.”
He added that “the US Secretary of State will stress the urgent need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation or any other actions that would undermine the ability to conclude an agreement.”
A joint statement by the United States, Egypt and Qatar described the two-day discussions as “serious and constructive,” adding that they were “conducted in a positive atmosphere.”
In the same context, the Hebrew website Ynet indicated that “the US Secretary of State is expected to arrive in Israel on Sunday evening, on a two-day visit.”
He added: “Blinken was supposed to arrive this week, but his visit was postponed until after the summit in Doha, perhaps for fear of an attack by Iran or Lebanese factions.
The website continued: “Now, coordination has begun again for the arrival of Blinken, who is also expected to visit other countries in the Middle East.”
Earlier on Friday, a leading source in the Palestinian factions movement reported that what the movement’s leadership was informed of about the results of the Doha meetings that concluded on Friday, to cease fire in the Gaza Strip, “does not include commitment to what was previously agreed upon on July 2,” based on Biden’s proposal.
The source told Anadolu Agency, preferring not to reveal his identity, that “what the movement’s leadership reported today about the results of the Doha ceasefire meetings does not include commitment to what was agreed upon on July 2,” without further details.
For his part, an informed Palestinian source revealed to Anadolu Agency that “the new proposal that was shared in Doha does not address the status of the Netzarim Corridor (central Gaza) and the Philadelphi Corridor (between the Strip and Egypt).”
The source added, preferring to remain anonymous: “So far, there is only a verbal American pledge to pressure Israel regarding Netzarim, while the Philadelphi Corridor file will be discussed next week in Cairo.”
This comes as Washington, which is spreading the impression that the talks are proceeding in a “positive atmosphere,” hopes that reaching an agreement between the Palestinian factions and Israel to stop the war and exchange prisoners will help dissuade Iran and the Lebanese factions from responding to the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian factions, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31, and the leader of the Lebanese factions, Fouad Shukr, in Beirut the day before.
The mediators presented the Palestinian factions with the terms of a framework agreement for a ceasefire on July 2, based on the proposal presented by the US President last May, to stop the war on the Gaza Strip and exchange prisoners.
These terms achieve a comprehensive cessation of aggression on Gaza, a complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Strip, breaking the siege, opening the crossings, reconstruction, and achieving a serious prisoner exchange deal. This was met with rejection by Israel, the continuation of the massacres, and the imposition of new conditions related to remaining in the Netzarim Corridor and the Philadelphi Corridor.
Israel has been continuing this war since October 7, 2023, ignoring the UN Security Council resolution to stop it immediately, and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Anatolia
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2024-08-17 11:48:09
