US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday as part of Washington’s intensified diplomatic push to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, bringing an end to the ten-month-old war between Israel and Hamas. While US officials express a renewed sense of optimism regarding the possibility of securing a deal, they also caution that significant work remains to be done.
A senior Biden administration official, speaking to reporters on Friday, stated that the remaining gaps in the proposed agreement have been bridged, suggesting that a deal is now ready for implementation. Blinken’s visit to Israel will include meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other key officials.
These negotiations are taking place amidst growing regional concerns about potential escalation. Iran has issued threats of retaliation against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Washington has repeatedly warned Iran against any retaliatory action, emphasizing the potentially “cataclysmic” consequences, particularly for Iran.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy have thrown their support behind the ongoing ceasefire talks, urging all parties to avoid any “escalatory action.”
Talks on implementing the deal are anticipated to continue early next week, with senior officials reconvening in Cairo with the aim of concluding the agreement later in the week.
Israel’s negotiating team expressed “cautious optimism” regarding the possibility of advancing a deal, according to a statement released on Saturday by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office. However, Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha told Al Jazeera TV that Israel had added conditions to the ceasefire talks, accusing Netanyahu of using these conditions to hinder progress.
Even as hopes for a ceasefire grow, the war continues. At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on the Gaza town of Zawayda on Saturday, according to health officials. Israel has also issued new evacuation orders, citing Hamas rocket fire in the area.
The latest round of conflict in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7, when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has left much of Gaza in ruins and resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians, largely civilians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel claims to have eliminated 17,000 Hamas fighters.