Blinken encourages Israel to utilize Sinwar's death as an opportunity to put an end to the Gaza conflict, yet achieving a resolution appears to be a distant prospect.
A high-ranking U.S. government official, following a string of beneficial interactions in Israel, disclosed that Blinken had engaged in substantive discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, focusing on maximizing the existing strategic success and contemplating potential actions that could solidify this achievement between the present and forthcoming days.
Blinken was sent to the Middle East by President Biden in response to the recent assassination of the Hamas leader by the Israeli military. Although American officials have encouraged the Israeli authorities to capitalize on the occasion created by Sinwar's death, they have expressed skepticism about an imminent resumption of the drawn-out ceasefire and hostage negotiations that have been on hold for quite some time.
According to the Israeli account of the Netanyahu-Blinken meeting, they also discussed the progress of the conflict against Hamas in Gaza and Israel's relentless efforts to secure the safe return of all hostages without any explicit mention of expediting the cessation of the overall Gaza conflict.
There is currently no indication from the Israeli side that they are on the verge of bringing an end to the war. Instead, they have continued their military campaign in the northern region of Gaza, causing immense humanitarian distress, a matter of great concern during Blinken's meetings in Israel.
The specter of a regional conflict lingers over Blinken's itinerary, which will continue to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Israel is yet to carry out its anticipated retaliation against Iran for the missile attack earlier this month and has continued its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The U.S. official on Tuesday acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the impact of Sinwar's death on hostage negotiations, given the lack of clarity regarding his successor within Hamas, which is still believed to be detaining numerous individuals in Gaza.
"I believe the Israelis perceive a potential chance," the official claimed, "to restart negotiations or explore possibilities for the recent release of hostages." The official also mentioned Israeli concerns about Hamas' leadership following Sinwar's demise.
"We are discussing this, not just with the Israelis, but also with our Egyptian and Qatari partners. Hopefully, we will gain more clarity on this matter in the near future," the official added.
The official expressed that the Israelis showed interest in exploring alternative ideas that could facilitate hostage releases beyond the framework proposed by the U.S. earlier this year. However, the official did not disclose any specifics concerning these potential alternatives.
The U.S. will examine if Sinwar's death offers an opportunity to reignite the proposed framework — "given that Sinwar served as a primary impediment to it," the official remarked — or "if there is an opportunity to explore other means to attain the same fundamental objectives, such as rescuing everyone, ending the conflict, and providing humanitarian aid in abundance."
Blinken emphasized the importance of increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza
The provision of more humanitarian aid to Gaza emerged as a significant theme in Blinken's discussions in Israel Tuesday, following a letter sent to the Israeli administration last week demanding improvements or potential sanctions in military aid due to the current situation.
Blinken confronted Netanyahu with direct questions concerning the Israeli government's alleged policy of intentional starvation and killing of Palestinians who refused to vacate the northern Gaza region, dubbed the "General's plan" by far-right members of the government, according to the official.
During the meeting, Netanyahu and his top advisor Dermer allegedly confirmed that such a policy was not in place. Blinken urged them to clarify this point publicly.
"If that's not your policy, then you should make it clear. They confirmed it is not their policy," the official asserted.
Israeli officials conceded that the misconception about the execution of the "General's plan" being their policy had caused significant damage to their reputation, according to the official. The U.S. side urged them to address this issue publicly. However, Blinken did not extract any guarantees that Netanyahu would make such a statement.
In broader terms, Blinken spent considerable time outlining the points made in his letter last week in his meetings with top officials. The Israeli account of the Netanyahu and Gallant meetings made no mention of humanitarian aid, a matter that the U.S. senior administration official chose not to comment upon.
Blinken expressed that some progress had been made in certain areas but emphasized that much more was necessary and needed to be sustained, according to the senior administration official.
The official declared that the Israeli officials acknowledged the gravity of our concerns regarding the current situation and were committed to addressing it and fulfilling the requests and priorities outlined in the letter.
The official claimed that the Israeli officials had pledged to fulfill our requests and make every possible effort to accomplish them.
"We take these commitments seriously," the official said, stressing that the complicated situation had always been a challenge.
"The letter stated that we expected to observe action and sustained action within 30 days," they added. "We are still within that 30-day window. So this is the time frame we are operating within now, and we will reassess the situation once we reach this point."
The ongoing discussions between Blinken and Israeli officials encompass not only the conflict with Hamas but also the politics of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Blinken has emphasized the need for increased humanitarian aid, addressing concerns over allegations of intentional starvation and harm towards Palestinians.
The focus on politics extends beyond the Israeli context, as Blinken also engaged with Egyptian and Qatari partners to gain clarity on the leadership vacuum in Hamas following Sinwar's death and its potential impact on hostage negotiations.
