Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, asserted on Monday that the recent attempt by the United States to broker a ceasefire agreement in Gaza might be the “most suitable, potentially final opportunity”, and encouraged all involved parties to successfully conclude the deal.
Continuous negotiations for a ceasefire have been happening over several months and are set to proceed this week in Cairo, succeeding a two-day discussion that took place in Doha the previous week.
Later this week, Mr. Blinken aims to escalate American diplomatic pressure to assure a successful negotiation is reached, following a proposition last week by the US of bridging measures that mediator countries believe would bring closer the warring factions in Gaza.
In his talk with journalists before his meeting with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, Mr. Blinken said, “This is a pivotal time, possibly the most fitting, potentially the final chance to bring back the hostages, achieve a ceasefire, and set everyone on a superior path to sustained peace and safety.”
On President Biden’s orders, I am here to put in concentrated diplomatic efforts to guide this agreement to the finish line… It’s time for everyone to agree and avoid finding reasons to reject,” furthered Mr. Blinken.
Unfortunately, the mediator countries, namely Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, have yet to find common ground sufficient to forge an agreement after many months of intermittent negotiations. Sunday saw ongoing unrest in Gaza.
Hamas claimed hours after Mr. Blinken’s arrival that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was responsible for “obstructing the mediators’ efforts”, causing a delay in reaching a settlement and causing Israeli hostages in Gaza to face the same aggression as Palestinians.
In light of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31st, and with Iran threatening retaliation against Israel, there is an intensified urgency to secure a ceasefire agreement to prevent further regional unrest.
The chief US diplomat reemphasised caution against any further conflict, “At the same time, it is crucial to assure that no actions are taken which could jeopardise this procedure; thus, we are striving to prevent further conflict and provocations.”
The conflict broke out on October 7th, when Hamas insurgents stormed Israel, killing an estimated 1,200 individuals and taking roughly 250 hostages, according to Israeli accounts.
In an ensuing military operation, Israel has taken the lives of over 40,000 Palestinians, predominantly non-combatants, as stated by the health authorities in Palestine. This offensive has also transformed a significant portion of Gaza into ruins, as reported by Reuters.