U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Egypt on Tuesday to advance negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, following a “constructive meeting” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken, on his ninth visit to the Middle East since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, announced that Israel had accepted a U.S. “bridging proposal” for a ceasefire agreement, urging Hamas to follow suit.
Blinken’s next stop will be El Alamein, where he will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at his summer palace. The discussions in Egypt will focus on cementing a truce in the ongoing Gaza conflict, now in its tenth month. After the meeting in Egypt, Blinken will head to Doha, Qatar, for talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who hosted ceasefire discussions last week.
Both Egypt and Qatar are actively collaborating with the United States to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. put forward its latest proposal during the Doha talks, which Blinken is now working to finalize.
During his meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken emphasized the urgency of the situation, describing it as “a decisive moment” and possibly the “last opportunity” to secure the release of hostages, achieve a ceasefire, and establish a path towards lasting peace and security.
Hamas, however, has expressed reservations about the current U.S. proposal, accusing it of favoring Netanyahu’s conditions. The group has called for the implementation of a framework proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden in late May, rather than engaging in further negotiations.
The Biden administration is facing increasing domestic pressure over its handling of the Gaza conflict, with pro-Palestinian protests taking place outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. President Biden acknowledged the protesters’ concerns in his farewell speech, stating that “a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”
The ongoing conflict has seen significant casualties, with over 1,198 Israelis, mostly civilians, killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas, according to Israeli official figures. In response, Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has resulted in at least 40,139 deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Negotiations have been further complicated by the demands from Hamas for a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. However, Netanyahu’s government, particularly its far-right members, opposes any truce that would leave Israeli forces in strategic locations within Gaza.
As the conflict continues, 111 hostages remain in Gaza, including 39 whom the Israeli military believes are dead. The Biden administration’s proposal aims to freeze fighting for six weeks, during which time Israeli hostages would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, and humanitarian aid would enter Gaza.
With time running out and the potential for a broader regional conflict involving Iran and Hezbollah, Blinken’s diplomatic efforts in Egypt and Qatar will be crucial in determining whether a ceasefire can be achieved.
Sources By Agencies
