Michelle ThompsonUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the way Hamas responded to the deal to free the hostages and stop fighting in Gaza allows for an agreement to be made, even though there are some things they disagree on.
“We will keep working really hard until we reach our goal,” said Blinken at a news conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday after meeting with important Israeli officials all day.
The US diplomat said talks for a deal would keep going, even though the Israeli Prime Minister rejected Hamas’ new idea as “crazy” just a few hours ago.
“We don’t have to promise, we just need to talk about it and come to an agreement. ” “It’s a process, and right now, I don’t see Hamas making it happen,” Netanyahu said at a news conference after meeting with Blinken.
“I told Antony Blinken we are almost about to win completely,” he said, and added that Israel will do everything we can to achieve victory.
When Blinken was asked about what Netanyahu said, he believed the prime minister was talking about things that can’t happen.
Hamas gave a plan in three parts that would last 45 days each. The plan includes the Israeli soldiers leaving Gaza, helping a lot of people, and letting people move around freely in Gaza. CNN got a copy of the plan.
“Blinken said that these things are always discussions and agreements. ” “It’s not as easy as turning on a light. ” It’s neither yes nor no. “There’s always a exchange of words. “
“I already mentioned that we have room for it. ” “And because it’s so important to bring the hostages home, we’re determined to go after it,” he said.
However, Netanyahu’s strong refusal to stop the fighting will probably make it difficult to reach an agreement. It also shows that Blinken hasn’t been able to convince the Israeli government to stop fighting for a short time to help people in need. Authorities want the fighting to stop in Gaza because they believe it’s important for their goals in the short and long term. There is a lot of pressure from both the US and other countries to end the conflict, and the toll it’s taking on people is really bad. The Israeli attack on Gaza started four months ago after Hamas attacked. Many people in Gaza have died and the rest of the population is really struggling to find enough food to eat. The attack caused many other attacks in different places, like the Red Sea and Iraq and Syria. Some US troops were also hurt, with three of them dying. These attacks were done by groups supported by Iran. The Biden government is getting criticism from some people in the US for how it’s dealing with the situation in Gaza. This could hurt President Biden’s chances in the upcoming election.
The number of civilian casualties continues to be unacceptably high.
Blinken had been asking the Israeli government for four months to find better ways to protect civilians and help those who need it, but the number of civilian casualties is still too high.
“Almost 2 million people have been forced to leave their homes. ” Hundreds of thousands of people don’t have enough food to eat. Many people have lost someone they love. And every day, more and more people are being killed, stated Blinken.
“I spoke to the prime minister and other Israeli officials today and told them that their military operations are hurting a lot of innocent people every day. “
Blinken said Israel took some important actions, but he also gave more steps they need to take to help civilians.
Israel needs to open Erez to send help to the people in Northern Gaza who are having a hard time surviving.
“It should make it faster for humanitarian help to come from Jordan,” Blinken continued. “It needs to make sure there are no conflicts and work better with the people who provide help to those in need. “
The US diplomat said that Israel needs to make sure that life-saving help can reach Gaza without any obstacles, even if there are protests getting in the way.
In private, Blinken worried about the possible impact of a military attack in Rafah, where over a million people have left. He was told about the plans for that mission in a meeting with the top leaders of Israel’s military and intelligence agencies. Two Israeli officials shared this information. With Israel’s military operation possibly lasting for several more months, Blinken also publicly asked Israel to remember our shared humanity.
“Blinken said that most people in Gaza had nothing to do with the attacks on October 7. Families in Gaza rely on aid from Israel to survive, just like our families do. “
Blinken said that Israelis were treated very badly on October 7, and that the hostages have been treated badly every day since then. But he also said that this should not give anyone the right to treat others badly.
The US leader plans to meet with the families of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on Thursday, as he has done many times before.
“We are thinking a lot about the hostages and we care about them a lot,” Blinken said earlier today when meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Strategies for the aftermath in Gaza.
Blinken came to Israel on Tuesday night after visiting Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar. The meetings in these countries were about making sure that even if there is a break, we can keep making plans for what comes next in Gaza – like security, helping people, rebuilding, and governing.
On Wednesday, the highest-ranking US representative went to the West Bank to talk with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Blinken told Abbas that the Palestinian Authority needs to make changes to improve how it is run and be accountable to the Palestinian people. Abbas said the PA has agreed to make these changes and Blinken wants them to happen quickly.
US officials think that if the Palestinian Authority gets stronger, it could bring together Gaza and the West Bank. In November, Blinken explained some rules for Gaza after the fighting stops – no Israeli forces going back in and no shrinking of the land.
Yet, Netanyahu has publicly rejected many of these important beliefs, as recently as Wednesday after meeting with Blinken.
“I told Blinken today that once we defeat Hamas, we will make sure that Gaza is safe forever. ” History has shown that only Israel, the IDF, and our security forces can achieve this. He said this during a news conference. “Israel will go to Gaza whenever needed to prevent terrorism from returning. “
Netanyahu said no to the idea of a Palestinian state and doesn’t want the Palestinian Authority to help run Gaza after a war. He may want to create a safe area inside Gaza, even though the US wants Gaza’s land to stay the same.
During his recent visits, Blinken told the Israeli government that they need to make tough choices and work towards a two-state solution in order to get along with Saudi Arabia and get help from Arab neighbors for Gaza’s safety and rebuilding.
The highest-ranking US official, who talked with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, said that Saudi Arabia still really wants to make relations with Israel normal. But the Crown Prince said that the fighting in Gaza must stop and there must be a clear plan to create a Palestinian country.
During a news conference in Doha, Blinken said that Israel will be better able to handle its big security problems if it is part of a region that works together.
“But again, these are choices that need to be done. ” All of them are difficult. “We will keep working on getting ready for all the diplomatic actions needed to go in that direction if that’s what everyone decides,” Blinken said.
Emily Martinez
