Blinken was in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to meet Israeli leaders following visiting Saudi Arabia and Jordan earlier in the week.
In a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, he once more put pressure on Hamas, which he claims has received a very generous cease-fire offer from Israel.
– Even in these difficult times, we are determined to secure a ceasefire that brings the hostages home, and to secure it now. The only reason why we may not achieve this will be Hamas, said Blinken.
– There is a proposal on the table, and as we have said, no delays, no excuses. The time is now, said Blinken, who added that the agreement will also ensure that food, medicine and water will arrive in the Gaza Strip.
Rejects American pressure
At Hamas, Blinken’s statement falls on bad ground.
– Blinken’s comments are contrary to reality. But it is nothing remarkable that Blinken makes such a statement, as he is known as Israel’s foreign minister, not the US’s, says senior Hamas representative Sami Abu Zuhri.
He adds that the Palestinian group is still reviewing Israel’s offer of a ceasefire in exchange for the hostages in Gaza being released.
– Even the Israeli negotiating team has admitted that it is Netanyahu who is preventing an agreement, says Abu Zuhri to the Reuters news agency.
– Responds “shortly”
Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire, and for Israel to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip.
According to British Foreign Minister David Cameron, Israel has offered a 40-day ceasefire if all the hostages are released, but has not given any guarantees that the attacks will not resume.
Another senior Hamas representative, Suhail al-Hindi, told the AFP news agency that the group is ready to respond to the proposal for a 40-day ceasefire “in a short time”. He will not be more precise than that.
Al-Hindi says it is too early to say whether the talks in Cairo earlier this week led to anything. He emphasizes that the aim of the talks was to arrive at an end to the war.
US advises once morest Rafah operation
Blinken is now on his seventh visit to the Middle East since the war broke out. On Wednesday, he says there are better ways to address Hamas than sending soldiers into Rafah.
– Our position is clear. It hasn’t changed, and it won’t change, he says.
Blinken emphasizes that the US cannot support a military operation on Rafah when there is no plan to prevent civilians from being hit by attacks.
– At the same time, we believe there are other ways – and in our view better ways – to handle the ongoing challenges with Hamas that do not require major military operations, says Blinken.
Fears “unspeakable tragedy”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as recently as Tuesday that he is determined to send Israeli soldiers into Rafah – regardless of the ceasefire.
The UN and aid organizations have warned that such a ground operation will lead to enormous suffering for the Palestinians. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (OCHA) writes in a press release that there will be more to an unspeakable tragedy for the many Palestinians who have already fled in an attempt to avoid disease, hunger, mass graves and fighting.
Nearly 35,000 Palestinians have so far been killed in Israeli attacks once morest the Gaza Strip since Hamas attacked Israel in southern Israel – an attack that claimed just over 1,100 lives.
Large parts of the Palestinian enclave lie in ruins following almost seven months of war. Hundreds of thousands have fled south to Rafah, where people live close together, many of them in tent camps.
Met the families of the hostages
After the meeting with Herzog, Blinken met with the families of American hostages in Gaza. The meeting was held at the hotel where he lives. He also greeted protesters in the streets outside demanding a deal that would see the hostages released immediately.
He also met Netanyahu privately. According to Reuters, Blinken is trying to persuade the Israeli leader to send more emergency aid to Gaza.
During the day, Blinken was also expected to visit the port of Ashdod in southern Israel, which has long been closed to emergency aid intended for Gaza. Recently, however, Israeli authorities gave the green light to allow ships with emergency aid to dock, which happened following strong American pressure.
The US is Israel’s main supporter and has given the green light for several arms deliveries to Israel since the war broke out on 7 October.
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2024-05-01 22:27:39
