U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Israel Wednesday on the last day of his three-day trip to the Middle East. Photo courtesy of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken/X
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Middle Eastern country on Wednesday as the Biden administration pushes to secure a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and prevent its ally from invading the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Blinken ended his three-day, three-country trip Wednesday in Israel as he continues to push for a cease-fire deal that would include the release of all Israeli hostages held by Iran-backed Hamas. Advertisement
He has said the deal is “generous on the part of Israel” and has been presented to Hamas, whom they are awaiting a response. The contents of the deal have not been publicly released, but The New York Times reported that Israeli officials are demanding Hamas release 33 hostages.
Speaking to reporters in Ashdod, Israel, about his multi-hour meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken said Israel has made comprises on the deal, a demonstration of its desire to get it done, with Hamas now in control of deciding how the situation will proceed.
“There is no time for delay. There is no time for further haggling. The deal is there,” he said. “They should take it.” Advertisement
The push for a cease-fire comes amid growing expectations that Israel will launch a ground offensive into the southern border town of Rafah were more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering from the war.
Worries of the Rafah invasion have been growing for weeks as Israel seeks to hunt down remaining leaders of Hamas who may be sheltering in the city. Despite concerns over potential humanitarian fallout from the invasion, Netanyahu has said they have “no choice” but to go forward with the ground campaign.
Earlier this week at the start Blinken’s trip and amid hopes that a cease-fire deal could soon be reached, Netanyahu made clear that the ground invasion will go ahead whether Israeli hostages are released or not.
The United States has been forthright that they are against the invasion, and Blinken told reporters Wednesday that the Biden administration’s position hasn’t changed.
“We cannot, will not support a major military operation in Rafah absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed,” he said.
“And no, we have not seen such a plan.”
The elimination of Hamas in Gaza is one of the conditions Netanyahu has set out to achieving victory in the war, and Blinken said that the United States sees other, better ways of dealing with the militant group than a major military operation in Rafah. Advertisement
Some 130 of an initial 253 Israelis abducted during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel remain captives of the Iran-backed militia.
During a brief cease-fire achieved in November, Hamas freed 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held captive by the Israeli government.
Blinken has been in the Middle East since Monday seeking a second cease-fire. Along with Israel, the United States’ top diplomat visited Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
