Blinken meets with Israeli leaders to contain conflict
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders during his fourth trip to the Middle East in just three months.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday that Israel would “intensify” military efforts in the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip until Hamas leaders are captured or killed and the Israeli hostages are freed.
The Israeli military has announced plans in recent days to continue the war with fewer troops and fewer bombings. But Gallant made clear that the pursuit of Hamas militants who may have fled the northern Gaza Strip is being stepped up.
Blinken was in Israel for talks with President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders aimed at curbing civilian deaths and finding common ground for Gaza's postwar future. Blinken, who arrived in Tel Avi after visiting leaders in Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, is also pushing for diplomatic efforts to prevent the war from spreading to the Middle East .
Blinken said the countries he visited expressed interest in helping plan Gaza's future and normalizing relations with Israel. He also said he would also visit the families of some hostages and “discuss our tireless efforts to return everyone home and to their families.”
“The minister reiterated our support for Israel's right to prevent a repeat of the October 7 terrorist attacks and emphasized the importance of preventing further harm to civilians and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addressed Blinken in a social media post: “Mr. Secretary Blinken, it's not time to talk softly to Hamas, it's time to use the big stick.”
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Developments:
∎ Hezbollah's top commander, Ali Hussein Barji, the alleged mastermind of several drone strikes in northern Israel, was killed in an apparent attack in southern Lebanon, the militant group said.
∎ A drone targeted a car during the funeral procession of senior Hezbollah military commander Wissam Tawil, causing several injuries in the southern Lebanese town of Kherbit Selim, the Lebanese National News Agency reported. Tawil was killed Monday in an apparent Israeli drone strike on his SUV.
∎ Six Israeli soldiers died in an explosion in the central Gaza Strip and three others were killed in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said. This is despite military statements that the fighting would be more targeted and there would be fewer ground troops and air strikes.
Post-war Gaza: Middle Eastern countries want to help shape the plan
Saudi Arabia wants to normalize relations with Israel after the war in Gaza, but any deal must lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Saudi ambassador to Britain said on Tuesday. Prince Khalid bin Bandar told the BBC that a pact was “near” as US-brokered talks broke down following Hamas' attack on Israel. Saudi Arabia, which has never recognized Israel's right to exist, is still seeking relations with Israel despite the “deplorable” death toll in Gaza, he said.
He also said that the West must treat Israel the same as other nations.
“The blind spot on Israel is a real problem because it represents a blind spot for peace,” he said.
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday called on Muslim states to support its war against Israel with both weapons and humanitarian aid, saying Hamas' fight is not just for the Palestinian people.
“We see that the countries of the world are providing weapons to the occupation through airlifts and aircraft carriers, and it is time to support the resistance with weapons,” Haniyeh said at the World Federation of Muslim Scholars conference in Doha. Qatar.
Haniyeh said the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 was motivated by the “marginalization” of the Palestinian issue, an Israeli government that he said prioritized the expulsion of Palestinians, clashes with Israeli police in Al-Aqsa Mosque and “normalization” have been fueled and integration of Israel’s occupation in the region.
“Our Palestinian people and our resistance have decided that such a reality cannot be dealt with through traditional means,” Haniyeh said.
Despite 100 days of massive destruction across the Gaza Strip, Israel has failed to free a living hostage, he said. He stressed that the more than 100 Israeli hostages held by the militants will not be released until the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are released.
“The stated goals of the war on Gaza are the elimination of Hamas, the repatriation of prisoners and the implementation of the expulsion plan,” Haniyeh said. “And I tell you that despite the destruction and massacres, the enemy has not achieved any war aim.”