Ceasefire deal is ‘best’ and ‘last’ chance for peace says Blinken
The prospect of ending the 11-month conflict between Israel and Hamas stands on a knife’s edge in hopes of stopping Iran’s promised attack, which could plunge the region into a full-scale conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed in a statement that the latest Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal was probably the best and possibly last opportunity for peace, reported Reuters and agencies on August 19th.
Palestinian and Islamist group Hamas has adopted a more cynical tone to peace talks compared to U.S. officials as talks in Qatar last week paused without a breakthrough. After meeting with Hamas envoys, Turkish officials stated that U.S. diplomats were “painting an overly optimistic picture” of the talks. Negotiations are expected to resume this week on a U.S. “bridging proposal”.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Blinken on August 19th before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The news comes as Israeli forces continue their assault in Khan Younis, with many residents having been given evacuation notices.
READ: Robert Bridge: Is it time for the U.S. to rethink its NATO role?
“This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” Blinken told reporters.
Talks have revolved around the same issues, with Israel only willing to end fighting once Hamas is destroyed in its entirety and Hamas stating it will only accept a permanent, rather than a temporary, ceasefire.
Objections from the Palestinian militant group include the presence of Israeli troops inside Gaza, particularly on the Egyptian border, along with the free movement of Palestinians inside the enclave and the identity and number of prisoners to be freed in return for the release of Israeli hostages.
Hamas also blamed Netanyahu for “thwarting the mediator’s efforts” on August 18th. However, the Israeli leader told his cabinet that “we are conducting negotiations and not a scenario in which we just give and give,” according to a statement released by his office.
READ: British civil servant resigns over U.K.’s complicity in war crimes
With Middle Eastern nations and Israeli allied military forces remaining on high alert in the past month, Blinken warned against any provocations from both sides.
“It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process, and so we’re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations.”, he stated.
Shortly after Blinken’s arrival on August 18th, a bomb exploded by a synagogue in Tel Aviv. Israeli police reported that the explosion killed the person carrying it and injured a passerby.
Reuters and agencies
