Blinken perceives a potential final opportunity for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Negotiations right now could potentially be the best, or the last, chance to bring home the hostages, establish a truce, and guide all parties towards a path of long-term peace and safety, stated Blinken ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister. Per Biden's directive, Blinken was dispatched to seal the deal and ultimately cross the finish line of this agreement.
It's now crunch time for an agreement to materialize. Blinken highlighted the importance of avoiding any actions that could jeopardize the deal and escalate the conflict to more volatile areas. Herzog, the Israeli President, expressed his belief that the primary humanitarian objective is to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza.
Blinken made his ninth Middle East trip since the ten-month-long conflict between Israel and the militant Hamas in Gaza. Following discussions with President Herzog, PM Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Gallant, Blinken is scheduled to meet with Egyptian leaders on Tuesday.
In Cairo, talks regarding the ceasefire and hostage release, which were halted in Doha on Friday, are set to resume this week. The U.S. presented a fresh compromise proposal to Israel and Hamas a few days prior. A joint statement released by the mediators (U.S., Egypt, and Qatar) stated that the proposal bridged "outstanding differences."
President Biden expressed optimism over the weekend, stating that the parties are more close than ever before to an agreement. On Sunday, Biden continued his support for the ongoing talks. "We're not surrendering," he said, "an agreement is still attainable." Israeli negotiators expressed "tentative hope" following the conclusion of the initial talks.
Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, urged Netanyahu on X-service to seize this opportunity and free the hostages. However, members of Netanyahu's right-wing government oppose a truce. Hamas, who were not part of the Doha talks, accused Netanyahu once again of hindering the efforts of the mediators.
The conflict in Gaza was ignited by Hamas's massive assault on Israel on October 7. According to Israeli reports, 1,198 lives were lost, and 251 individuals were taken hostage in Gaza. Since then, Israel has executed extensive military operations in Gaza. As per figures from the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, more than 40,000 deaths have been reported to date, although this figure cannot be independently corroborated.
Israeli troops were reportedly deployed in the Gaza Strip's southern and central regions on Monday. The air force struck over 45 "terrorist targets" throughout Palestinian territories within a 24-hour period.
Hamas and the militant Islamic Jihad organization claimed responsibility for a foiled attack in Tel Aviv on Sunday night. One person was killed, and another was injured in the blast. The groups issued threats to Israel, promising further attacks.
Blinken emphasized to Netanyahu that seizing this opportunity for negotiations could be both the best chance to secure the hostages and establish peace, or it could be the last chance before hostilities escalate further. Later, President Lapid urged Netanyahu to utilize this opportunity by freeing the hostages, urging him not to miss this potential breakthrough.
