Blinken returns to Israel for tough talks with Netanyahu as diplomatic efforts intensify

CNN
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel on Friday as part of an intensive diplomatic drive to achieve a “sustained and immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip and stop an Israeli attack on Rafah.

The Tel Aviv stop marks Blinken’s sixth shuttle diplomacy in the region since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s war cabinet amid heightened crisis over the ongoing war.

Blinken’s visit to Israel on Friday coincides with the resumption of talks in Doha aimed at securing a cease-fire deal related to the release of hostages held by Hamas and a U.N. vote on a U.S.-led Security Council resolution. . An “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza conflict.

Relations between the Biden and Netanyahu administrations have deteriorated in recent weeks, and dissatisfaction with the war continues to grow in the United States. Partisan tensions on Capitol Hill, with Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for an Israeli election last week and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announcing his intention to invite Netanyahu to address Congress on Thursday. The groove is widening.

Blinken’s meeting will be tense as Netanyahu has vowed to carry out an Israeli military invasion of Rafah, where more than 1 million Gazans have been forced to flee, despite U.S. and international criticism. It is expected that.

“Our position is very clear that a large-scale military operation in Rafah is wrong and we do not support it,” Blinken reiterated at a news conference Thursday. “There is nowhere for the many civilians gathered in Rafah to go to escape danger. And for those who will inevitably remain, it will be a humanitarian disaster.”

The issue will be discussed at Prime Minister Blinken’s meeting in Tel Aviv, and Israeli officials plan to travel to Washington next week to hear the U.S.’s “views on how to address this issue differently.” he said on Wednesday.

As ceasefire talks resume in Doha, CIA Director Bill Burns is scheduled to visit the Qatari capital to meet with Israeli, Qatari and Egyptian officials. Mr. Blinken expressed cautious optimism in recent days that a deal could be reached, but acknowledged that “there are still significant challenges.”

In parallel with its activities in the region, the United States is scheduled to submit a UN Security Council resolution on Friday. This resolution clearly supports continued diplomatic efforts aimed at securing an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as part of the hostage deal, and will result in the release and support of hostages. “This will enable a surge in humanitarian aid,” said Nate Evans, a spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

“This resolution is an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice in support of the diplomacy taking place on the ground and to pressure Hamas to accept an agreement at the negotiating table,” Evans said. Stated.

All of these diplomatic efforts are set against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where “100% of the population…is experiencing severe levels of acute food insecurity,” Blinken said.

America’s top diplomat is again expected to press Israel on the urgent need for more humanitarian aid to reach people in the war-torn region.

“Israel needs to do more,” he said Thursday.

“While there has been some improvement in humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in recent weeks, it is not enough,” Blinken said.

Blinken called on Israel in an interview Wednesday to “further open access points to Gaza,” as administration officials and international aid officials repeatedly emphasized the need for “flood” aid.

Land crossings are the most effective way to get aid to those in need, but sustained pressure from the United States has failed to persuade the Israeli government to do more than open another crossing. . Amid continued resistance from the Israeli government, the United States announced earlier this month that it would turn to airdrops and the construction of a sea pier by American forces.