Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, conducted a series of discussions with Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, on Wednesday with the objective of expanding aid to Gaza and encouraging Hamas to agree to a ceasefire that would conclude fighting and free Israeli captives.
This marks Blinken’s seventh trip to the region which was swept into crisis when Israel was assaulted by Hamas on October 7th. He has already made stops in Riyadh and Amman this week as part of his Middle Eastern journey and Israel is his final destination.
In line with the trip’s humanitarian agenda, Blinken plans to travel to Ashdod port in southern Israel which was recently initiated as an aid delivery point for Gaza. He will appeal to the Israeli government to take certain steps to promote aid provision to Gaza, where almost half of the populace is grappling with severe hunger.
Blinken held an exclusive discussion with Netanyahu at his office, which would be followed by a broader meeting including other senior Israeli personnel and US diplomats.
In his preliminary commentary at his meeting with Isaac Herzog, the Israeli President, in Tel Aviv, Blinken emphasised the necessity of focusing on the plight of Gaza residents who are caught up in the conflict instigated by Hamas. He stated that there is an obligation to provide them with much-needed immediate essentials like food, medicine, water and shelter.
As part of his effort to facilitate aid distribution, Blinken stressed, on Tuesday, on the requirement to ensure an ample number of drivers and trucks within Gaza and the need to chalk out a clear list of essential items to avoid any ‘random’ refusal of aid consignments.
Blinken called on Hamas to approve an ‘extraordinarily generous’ ceasefire offer suggested by Egyptian negotiators. This agreement would entail a cessation of hostilities and release of 33 Israeli prisoners in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners, with the potential for further advancements towards a more extensive deal in the future.
However, a senior Hamas official has criticised Blinken’s failure to show respect and understanding to both parties, and accused Israel of being the main hurdle to achieving a peace agreement. This official mentioned the group was still exploring their options under the proposed deal and haven’t responded so far.
The claims made by Blinken are at odds with reality, as stated by official Sami Abu Zuhri. He pointed out that even the Israeli negotiation team accepted that their own leader, Netanyahu, was the main obstacle in reaching an agreement.
Mr Blinken is currently in Israel amidst the increasing conjecture that Israel might promptly initiate its long-waited attack on the southern Gaza city, Rafah. This city is currently harboring over a million Palestinians who were forced to evacuate their homes from the north.
Despite explicit US insistence that every possible measure be taken to safeguard civilians before any military operations are carried out, Mr Netanyahu announced that the attack on Rafah would proceed, with no regard for any possible ceasefire agreement. While international voices are urging him to refrain from this offensive in Rafah, Mr Netanyahu has been under considerable strain from his religious nationalist allies, on whose support his coalition government’s continued existence depends, to plough ahead.
During their October 7 assault on Israel, Hamas was responsible for the death of 1,200 individuals and the kidnapping of another 250, Israeli counts suggest.
As a countermeasure, Israel initiated an unyielding strike on Gaza, causing the death of over 34,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled region. As a consequence of a six-month war, the region has been turned into debris, and over a million individuals are threatened with starvation, as per the United Nations.
Approximately a month after US President Joe Biden issued a stern caution to Mr Netanyahu, Mr Blinken discussed aid with Mr Netanyahu. President Biden warned that a change in Washington’s policy can be expected if Israel does not take measures to address harms inflicted on civilians, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres acknowledged minor improvements towards preventing an unnecessary man-made famine in Northern Gaza on Tuesday. However, he insisted that Israel needs to take more action.
Mr Blinken announced that the initial batches of aid from Jordan directly to the newly opened Erez crossing in Northern Gaza were planned to start from Tuesday. There were also deliveries being made via the port of Ashdod, and a new seaway should be operational in about a week’s time. This information was reported by Reuters.
Copyright belongs to Thomson Reuters 2024.