Gaza, Blinken meets Netanyahu: “Firm opposition to the possible military operation in Rafah”

The meeting in Jerusalem between the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US Secretary of State has concluded, Antony Blinken. This was announced by Netanyahu’s office, reported by the Israeli press. The spokesperson of the US State Department Matthew Millerquoted by the television station “Al Jaazera”, reported that during the meeting Blinken reiterated Washington’s firm opposition to Israel’s potential military operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, where over a million displaced Palestinians reside.

At the meeting in Tel Aviv with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, the US Secretary of State said that the only reason why an agreement could not be reached in the negotiations on the Gaza Strip is because of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. “We are determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home, and to get it now,” he said Blinken, explaining that “there is a proposal on the table”. “Like we said, no delays, no excuses. The time to return the hostages to their families has long passed,” added the US Secretary of State. “While we are working with relentless determination to achieve a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home, we must also focus on the people in Gaza who are suffering in this crossfire from Hamas, and then figure out how to ensure they receive the assistance they need. they need: this is also one of our priorities,” Blinken then said.

“Bringing home all the Israeli hostages seized by Hamas is at the heart of everything we are trying to do, and we will not have peace until everyone – men, women, soldiers, civilians, young people, old people – has returned home,” he said Blinken after meeting the families of some of the hostages during his visit to Israel. “There is a very strong proposal on the table right now. Hamas must say yes and it must do so. This is our determination, and we will not stop, we will not stop until you are reunited with your loved ones. So please stay strong, keep hope. We will be with you every single day until we get this done,” he concluded.

The US Secretary of State arrived in Israel yesterday from Amman, Jordan, and met the families of the hostages during the morning. “Today’s meeting was “positive,” the Hostages’ Families Forum, which includes relatives and friends of the people kidnapped by Islamist militiamen on October 7, 2023 during the attack on the Jewish state, said in a statement. According to the press release, Blinken he expressed “cautious optimism” about the possible agreement that Israel could reach with Hamas for the release of the hostages. “We express our sincere gratitude to the Secretary of State Blinken and to the Biden administration for their continued support during this difficult phase. We must never forget that there are 133 hostages languishing in captivity under the control of Hamas terrorists. We urgently implore international efforts to ensure the freedom of all innocent people wrongly detained,” the statement further reads.

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