Blinken: Talks Could Be Last Chance to Free Gaza Hostages

During his visit to Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasized the urgency of ongoing negotiations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives. Blinken described these discussions as potentially the final opportunity to achieve these objectives.

While in Tel Aviv on Monday and before his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Blinken stressed his commitment to mitigating additional regional conflicts that have been intensified by the Gaza war. He underscored the U.S. efforts to broker a deal to conclude the 10-month-long conflict, highlighting recent American proposals aimed at reconciling differences between the opposing sides.

Blinken, on his ninth visit to the region since the onset of the conflict in October, highlighted the critical nature of the current moment. “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,” he stated.

Further, Blinken conveyed President Biden’s directive for an intensive diplomatic push to finalize the agreement, urging all parties to agree without seeking excuses to decline. He also called for cautious steps to avoid derailing the ongoing peace process.

Amid rising global concerns about the conflict escalating into a broader regional war following the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, Blinken reiterated the importance of preventing any actions that could provoke further intensification of the conflict or hinder the peace deal.

Later, Blinken was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, President Herzog emphasized the importance of the swift return of captives taken by Hamas during its October 7 attack, marking the start of Israel’s current military actions.

The talks, mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, continued with no resolution last Friday in Qatar and are expected to resume in Cairo this week. These discussions have seen Hamas demand a ceasefire that would permanently end the war, while Israel insists on terms that do not constrain its military actions, despite U.S. calls to end the conflict.

In the backdrop of these diplomatic efforts, Israeli military operations in Gaza persist, with Palestinian health authorities reporting a death toll exceeding 40,000 due to the bombardment.