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CNN
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel on Wednesday to meet with key government officials and call for a “humanitarian pause” as US pressure at home and abroad to end the conflict in Gaza continues to increase.
Blinken spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for more than an hour. He has met with Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Helj Halevi and is expected to meet with other key officials.
The stakes are high for a key day of debate in Tel Aviv as Hamas issued a response to a proposal aimed at ensuring the freedom of remaining hostages held by the terrorist organization and a sustained cessation of fighting. The news on Tuesday made it even more exciting. In Gaza.
Hamas’ full response proposes three phases lasting 45 days each, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a large-scale humanitarian effort, and freedom of movement for people across Gaza, according to a copy obtained by CNN. are doing.
“While there is still much work to do, we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed essential. And we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it,” Blinken said on Tuesday. He spoke at a press conference in Doha.
The Israeli offensive, launched after the Hamas offensive just four months ago, has caused untold humanitarian damage in the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving Gazans on the brink of starvation. The attack sparked a barrage of regional attacks by Iranian-backed proxies, including by the Houthis against ships in the Red Sea, as well as large-scale attacks by militias against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. One of them claimed the lives of three Americans. service member. The Biden administration is facing anger from some domestic groups over its handling of the situation in Gaza, which could hurt President Joe Biden politically in an election year.
top US diplomat The Biden administration is expected to focus on nudging Israel toward what it calls a “humanitarian pause,” as such a cessation of fighting is central to the United States’ short- and long-term goals. .
“We saw the results of the last pause, the first one: 105 hostages escaped, humanitarian assistance significantly increased, critical infrastructure in Gaza was repaired, and the region more broadly Tensions have eased,” Blinken said. Tuesday.
The State Department official also said, “Whenever we go to Israel, we have a long list of ongoing conversations with Israel about humanitarian access and civilian casualties.”
The conversation probably won’t be easy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday again rejected the idea of a ceasefire, saying attacks would continue until Hamas leaders are killed. Throughout the course of the conflict, it took intense and sustained pressure from the United States to get Israeli officials to change their positions, including on matters such as allowing aid to Gaza.
“We talk to Israelis every day about a variety of humanitarian challenges, and progress is being made, but for real breakthroughs on some big things, one of two things has to happen. The Secretary has to show up or else.” The President has to have a phone call with the Prime Minister. So whenever we visit Israel, we come with a list of things we’re trying to promote,” a senior State Department official said earlier this week.
On issues such as the civilian death toll, officials admit there is still work to be done and that the death toll from attacks remains too high. Humanitarian groups fear that civilian casualties will only increase as Israel moves its operations to Rafah, where thousands of people have fled.
Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday night after stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, where he said he would “use any pause to address the next day’s security, humanitarian, reconstruction and governance in Gaza.”
“We are also determined to use any moratorium to continue to chart a diplomatic path toward just and lasting peace and security in the region,” the top US diplomat said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly repudiated many of these key principles advocated by the United States and its regional allies for the “day after” in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister has repeatedly rejected the idea of a Palestinian state or the Palestinian Authority’s role in postwar governance. There are also signs that he intends to establish a buffer zone within Gaza to counter U.S. demands that the territory not be reduced.
During both this and his previous visit to the region, Blinken said that if the Israeli government wants to achieve normalization with Saudi Arabia and has the support of Arab countries, it must make “difficult” decisions and seek bilateral cooperation. He emphasized that we must move toward a solution. We ask neighboring countries to cooperate with us to secure and rebuild Gaza.
The top US diplomat who spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday said Saudi Arabia remained “strongly interested” in normalizing relations with Israel, but the crown prince said the Gaza war was It has to end, and the war in Gaza has to end. “A clear, reliable and time-bound path to Palestinian statehood.”
“In terms of addressing some of the most serious security challenges that Israel has faced for many years, we are better equipped to address them as part of a unified region,” Blinken said at a news conference in Doha on Tuesday. “We will be in a strong position,” he said. ”
“But again, these are decisions that have to be made. None of them are easy. And if that’s the path everyone chooses, the diplomacy that’s necessary to be able to go down that path.” “We will continue our efforts to prepare all necessary measures,” Blinken said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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