Evelyn Hochstein/Pool/AP
On April 30, 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was greeted by Israeli Ambassador to Washington Michael Herzog upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel.
CNN —
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday began another round of high-stakes talks in Israel. The United States is increasing pressure on Hamas to accept a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, while also seeking to forestall an Israeli military attack in Rafah and Rafah. Do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The top U.S. diplomat arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday after visiting Saudi Arabia and Jordan, concluding his seventh round of shuttle diplomacy in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. He held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and was scheduled to meet with other officials later in the day.
“We are determined to achieve a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home, and to do so now,” Blinken said in a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, adding, “The only reason it won’t happen is because of Hamas.” .
“We must also look at the people of Gaza who are suffering,” he added, adding that the focus must also be on “providing them with the necessary aid, food, water, medicine and shelter.” Stated.
Live footage showed protesters gathered outside the venue where Blinken and Herzog met in Tel Aviv. The crowd held posters urging US President Joe Biden to “stop the war and save the hostages.” “Bring them home,” demonstrators chanted, referring to the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and called on the government to strike a deal to secure their release.
After meeting with Herzog, Blinken shook hands with protesters and told officials he would not rest until “everyone” returned. “Bringing your loved ones home is at the heart of what we’re trying to do,” he said.
U.S. officials expressed some optimism about Hamas’ chances of reaching a deal to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages after Israel presented an offer Monday that Mr. Blinken described as “very generous.” It shows.
Blinken reiterated Tuesday that he believes a deal is achievable “because the Israeli side has put strong proposals on the table” and that the United States hopes to have such an agreement finalized “within days.” Ta.
Israel “has shown its readiness to compromise and now Hamas is at fault,” he said. “No more delays. No excuses. The time to act is now.”
Blinken said the proposed agreement is “the best way, the most effective way, to truly address human suffering and create an environment where we can move toward something truly sustainable.”
Still, securing an agreement is not a foregone conclusion.
Negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Hamas converge in Cairo, with Hamas seeking the release of up to 33 hostages abducted from Israel in exchange for a pause in fighting in the Israeli capital Gaza A new framework is being considered. People familiar with the negotiations and foreign diplomatic sources told CNN.
Sources said Israel helped develop the proposal but did not fully agree to it. Israel is waiting for a response from Hamas before deciding whether to send its own delegation to Cairo.
Hamas warned on Wednesday that Israel would not “pressure” what it could not achieve through negotiations and which it has failed to achieve in nearly seven months of war.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu and all his supporters shamefully imagine that they can achieve through pressure and political intrigue what they could not achieve with war,” Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq told Telegram.
Al-Rishq did not reject the proposal, but indicated that Hamas was not yet ready to agree to it. He said Israel “poured tons of lava and explosives into Gaza, but was unable to break through the resistance.” God forbid they should try to negotiate what they could not achieve in war. ”
While the US seeks to secure an agreement that it says will improve the long-term situation in the Gaza Strip, Mr Blinken urged Israeli authorities to take further steps in the immediate future to address the humanitarian disaster in the coastal enclave. will ask for it.
Blinken’s visit is the latest since Israel fatally attacked a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in the Gaza Strip in early April. The attack, for which the Israel Defense Forces claimed responsibility, caused an uproar and prompted calls from the Biden administration for Israel to do more to protect civilians and address the humanitarian situation in the war-torn region. This was the sharpest demand ever made.
“If we don’t see the changes we need to see, our own policies will change,” Blinken warned at a news conference last month.
Israel has been working on changes such as opening new intersections, allowing more trucks into Gaza and creating collision avoidance mechanisms, but their implementation has been slow. The Biden administration has also faced criticism from aid officials who say it is preoccupied with counting trucks rather than addressing the entire crisis.
Blinken said on Tuesday that the first round of aid from Jordan was finally being sent to Gaza via the Erez border between Israel and northern Gaza, but that “much remains to be done, especially That’s what we need to focus on.” We value not only input but also impact. ”
A top US diplomat said: “It is very important that we have a clear and positive list of products that are necessary for the well-being of the people of Gaza, and that we do not arbitrarily deny them products that need access.” It is important for To Gaza. ”
Blinken is also expected to echo the Biden administration’s repeated warnings against a major military offensive in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have fled.
“We have not yet found a plan that we are confident will effectively protect civilians,” Blinken said Monday. Last month, he cast doubt on the idea that such a plan could even be developed.
“It is inevitable that a significant number of civilians will remain in Rafah, and we believe that a large-scale military operation involving large numbers of civilians would have dire consequences for its population,” he said on April 20. ”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again threatened on Tuesday to carry out attacks “with or without an agreement.” Despite the threat, U.S. officials said they do not believe an attack is imminent.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog in the caption of a photo provided by Poole.
