Lucknow Press
Antony Blinken Middle East Visit: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday described Washington’s latest diplomatic effort to achieve a ceasefire agreement in Gaza as “probably the best, perhaps the last chance”. He urged all parties to finalize the deal. Marathon ceasefire talks that have been going on for months are set to continue in Cairo this week after a two-day meeting in Doha last week.
Blinken will increase US diplomatic pressure this weekend to help the negotiators achieve success. In fact, last week the US made proposals that mediating countries believe will reduce the distance between the parties involved in the war.
‘Last chance’
“This is a defining moment, perhaps the best, perhaps the last opportunity to bring the hostages back home, achieve a ceasefire and put everyone on a better path to lasting peace and security,” Blinken said ahead of his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Blinken said, ‘I am here at the direction of President Biden as part of an intense diplomatic effort to finalize this agreement and ultimately complete it… Now is the time for everyone to say yes and not look for any excuse to say no.’
Mediators have failed so far
The mediating countries – Qatar, the United States and Egypt – have so far failed to narrow the differences enough to reach an agreement even after months of negotiations. Meanwhile, violence continued unabated in Gaza on Sunday.
Hours after Blinken’s arrival, Hamas said it blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “sabotaging the efforts of mediators” and delaying the agreement.
The urgency to reach a ceasefire agreement has increased amid fears of escalation of tensions in the Middle East beyond Gaza. Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran on 31 July.
‘Do not take any step that derails this process’
The top US diplomat also reiterated the US warning against further escalation. He said, “This is also the time to ensure that no one takes any step that derails this process, and so we are working to ensure that there is no escalation of tension, no provocation.”
The war began on October 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israeli airstrikes, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and reduced much of Gaza to rubble, according to Palestinian health officials.
