- State Department Spokesperson Blinken announces approval from Israel, but lacks agreement from Hamas alone.
Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has stated that Israel has agreed to the latest American-supported ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Now, it's up to Hamas to concede to the proposal, Blinken mentioned during his visit to Israel. He had previously interacted with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for approximately three hours. Post this meeting, Blinken characterized it as "productive."
The current proposal, as per Blinken, mirrors the essence of the ceasefire agreement that U.S. President Joe Biden shared globally in May. The process will be phased: an initial ceasefire of six weeks, where hostages will be freed and prisoners will be exchanged, leading to negotiations on the conditions for a permanent ceasefire.
Blinken is advocating for a swift resolution before the final stretch. He shared that he journeyed to the Middle East to "bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages ahead of the finishing line as quickly as possible." It's crucial to accomplish this, he said.
In the coming days, negotiating teams are required to finalize clear agreements on implementing the agreement, Blinken said. "These are still intricate issues, and they will necessitate challenging judgments from leaders," he said. However, Blinken expressed optimism for a swift agreement: "The longer this continues, the more hostages will endure, potentially perish. Other occurrences could also materialize," he stated, referring to the volatile situation in the Middle East.
Blinken described the ceasefire talks as a crucial juncture, possibly the last chance to bring the hostages home, achieve a ceasefire, and move towards a better path of permanent peace and security.
Blinken subsequently met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv. Herzog's office later stated that the meeting lasted approximately three hours and was "positive and in a good mood." Netanyahu reiterated Israel's commitment to the current U.S. proposal for the release of its citizens, considering Israel's security requirements.
In a statement issued following Blinken's announcement, families of the hostages urged all parties to sign an agreement as soon as possible. "We cannot overlook this critical opportunity that may be our last," the statement read. "Time is running out for the hostages. Now is the time for decisive action."
Blinken interacted with families of the hostages in the evening. During this meeting, several hundred individuals demonstrated outside the building, advocating for a hostage deal and urging Blinken to pressure the Israeli government.
Regarding international efforts to reach an agreement in the indirect talks between Israel and the Islamic terrorist organization Hamas, Blinken stated, "It's time to conclude this." Efforts should be made to ensure that "no one takes actions that could jeopardize this process," he said. "We aim to prevent any escalation, any provocations."
"It should be prevented that the conflict escalates to other regions and intensifies," Blinken said. "We are concerned about potential attacks on Israel from Iran, the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah, and others. Therefore, U.S. President Joe Biden is taking resolute actions such as deploying troops to the region to obstruct any attacks and, if necessary, defend against any attacks."
After the killing of two high-ranking adversaries of Israel in Tehran and Beirut about three weeks ago, Iran and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah had threatened retaliation on a massive scale.
Herzog: We want hostages home soon
President Herzog accused Hamas of primarily being responsible for the collapse of talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar due to its obstinacy so far. "We are still very hopeful that we can make progress in the negotiations," he said at the same time. "We want to see the hostages back home as soon as possible."
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas continues to hold 115 hostages, of whom Israel has declared 41 dead. Furthermore, the fate of other hostages, whose status remains unknown, is uncertain. They may not be alive.
Blinken is scheduled to remain in the region until Tuesday and plans to travel from Israel to Egypt. In Cairo, talks between envoys on specific issues were scheduled for this week. Another high-level meeting was planned for Sunday.
One of the most contentious issues in the negotiations is whether Israel will withdraw from the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt that it captured in May. Hamas demands a complete Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, however, insists that the Israeli army should continue to control the so-called Philadelphi Corridor even after a ceasefire, for example, to prevent the smuggling of weapons.
The President of the Council, referring to U.S. President Joe Biden, endeavored to mirror his ceasefire agreement in the current proposal. Blinken, during his meeting with The President of the Council, emphasized the urgency of swiftly resolving the conflict.
