Israel: The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has arrived in Israel in an attempt to finalise a truce agreement that would end the Gaza War.
On Wednesday, Blinken began his fifth tour of the volatile region since October of last year, arriving in Jerusalem after meetings the day before in Egypt and Qatar, both of which served as mediators between Hamas and Israel.
To discuss the Palestinian group’s response to the proposed deal, he will meet with President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others.
According to Hamas’ past statements, any agreement must result in the war’s final termination. Israel has declared that the war will not end until Hamas is eliminated.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Palestinian group said that it had examined the “comprehensive ceasefire deal… with a positive spirit,” which included information on obtaining relief and shelter, rebuilding, ending a devastating 17-year siege, and concluding the “prisoner exchange” procedure.
Blinken will also meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestine, and they will probably talk about possible post-war scenarios.
The US insists that a Palestinian state, albeit one not controlled by Hamas, is essential to bringing about lasting peace. Additionally, Blinken has emphasised how crucial Israeli integration is to the US’s regional strategy.
Health officials in Gaza report that at least 27,585 deaths have been officially attributed to Israel’s military campaign, with thousands more possibly buried beneath debris.
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