Blinken spoke with his Egyptian counterpart about the current situation in Gaza and Lebanon, and discussed the humanitarian crisis in the enclave with Israel’s Defense Minister. And about the position of Hamas.
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“Hamas has again refused to release hostages, even a limited number, to ensure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza.” These were the statements of the Secretary of State of the United States of America (USA), Antony Blinken, after having spoken this Monday about the current state of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, and with the government Israeli. Minister of Defense, Yoav Galán.
In a statement, the US State Department revealed the details of this dialogue between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries, during which they discussed the future of Gaza and Lebanon and the status of negotiations for a ceasefire. Highlighting Hamas’s position on the release of the hostages held in Gaza, Blinken mentioned the proposal presented by Egypt on October 28, which provided for a temporary ceasefire to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to the enclave, with the objective to be able to reach a permanent resolution later.
The proposal, suggested in Cairo and discussed in Doha, Qatar, along with a Qatari and North American delegation, was rejected by both Hamas and Israel, which admitted they were not interested in a temporary option. According to Benjamin Netanyahu, “negotiations will only take place under fire.” The 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza, accompanied by the exchange of four Israeli hostages for a group of Palestinian prisoners, was categorically rejected by both sides, but the position of Hamas, which had initially presented itself as “willing to listen to new proposals” , is still valid. had not been confirmed.
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This conversation with Abdelatty was intended to “discuss the importance of establishing a path towards a post-war period that provides stability, security and reconstruction” for the region. For Blinken, the end of the conflict is crucial, “as is the release of all hostages and the increase in humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
The United States Secretary of State has been very expressive about the “deplorable humanitarian conditions” in the enclave, something he reinforced in a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, also this Monday. Antony Blinken again reviewed the measures already implemented by Israeli authorities to address the current situation and called on Gallant to “take further steps to substantially increase and maintain humanitarian support to all civilians in Gaza, including food, medicine and other essential goods.” ”. “
Just this Monday, a new report from the Gaza civil defense agency appeared, cited by Al Jazeera, referring to the severe conditions in northern Gaza, a region in which Israeli forces launched a military incursion approximately a month ago, causing more than 1,300 dead. “There is a blockade of medicines, water and food,” said the agency’s spokesperson, indicating that health professionals and hospitals in the region have been “out of service” for 13 consecutive days.
In addition to the situation in Gaza, in these two Blinken meetings the situation in Lebanon was also included on the agenda of topics to be addressed. “They discussed the efforts necessary to promote a diplomatic resolution that allows the safe return of civilians to their homes,” both statements read.
Source: Observadora
