Connect with us

NEWS

As Blinken returns to Mideast, recent hostage rescue complicates hopes of a cease-fire

Published

on

The freeing of the hostages has strengthened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s determination to continue military operations, rather than agreeing to a cease-fire, a senior administration official said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Presidential Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday.

The recent rescue of four hostages will likely complicate U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s effort to release the remaining hostages and achieve a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to a senior administration official.

The freeing of the hostages has strengthened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s determination to continue pursuing military operations, rather than agreeing to a cease-fire, the official told NBC News. And the Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, who has held out despite intense pressure for a deal from Qatar and Egypt, could take an even harder line because of the high number of civilian Palestinian casualties from the Israeli rescue operation.

The senior official said some of the civilian victims died in the crossfire from Hamas fighters responding to the Israeli operation. A second official said Hamas is ultimately responsible for the Palestinian deaths by hiding hostages in densely populated areas.

He added that while the release of the four Israeli hostages is welcome news, it is not going to change the status quo because there is still a significant number of hostages remaining, including five Americans believed to be alive. There are also three American hostages who were killed whose families are demanding the return of their remains.

Another complication for the diplomatic effort is Sunday’s resignation of the centrist member of Israel’s war cabinet, retired General Benny Gantz.

In resigning, Gantz accused Netanyahu of mismanaging the war and refusing to agree on what will happen to Gaza after the hostilities end. The Biden administration had tried to persuade Gantz not to quit because his absence will only strengthen Netanyahu’s ties to the far-right members of his coalition.

On his return to the region Monday — his eighth since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel — aides say Blinken will also focus on the desperate need to get more aid into Gaza. Israel closed access to the Rafah crossing on May 6 before it launched a new round of military operations there, making aid deliveries far too dangerous.

Egypt, Israel’s oldest Arab ally, has also been protesting against Israel’s military operations in a border area between the two countries known as the Philadelphi Corridor. All that will be part of Blinken’s agenda when he sees Egypt’s President al-Sisi Monday before going to Israel later in the day.

For the last six months, the secretary of state has been working intensively on a so-called day after plan for Israel to eventually withdraw from Gaza and turn security over to a reformed Palestinian authority, with Arab leaders promising to then help finance Gaza’s post-war reconstruction. But with both sides digging in against a cease-fire agreement, and outcries over the horrific death toll from this weekend’s Israeli-Hamas firefight, the chances of reaching a deal anytime soon may be fading.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NEWS14 hours ago

NJ wildfire update: Teen charged with arson in Ocean County blaze.

NEWS1 day ago

Chaos at Microsoft: two workers fired for… See more

NEWS2 days ago

Shocking News : Massive Ocean County, NJ wildfire forces evacuations, threatens thousands of structures.

NEWS4 days ago

Pope Francis is dead. He died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Rest in peace 🕊️

NEWS7 days ago

SAD NEWS: 30 minutes ago, Deputy Chief Jessica Ikner, mother of the FSU shooting suspect, spoke out to confirm that her son was… read more

ROYAL FAMILY7 days ago

Breaking News: Royal Family in Tears and Mourning, Meghan Markle Devastated After Prince Harry’s Shocking Announcement… Read More

CELEBRITY1 week ago

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship reaches new heights.

CELEBRITY2 weeks ago

At 17, Brad Pitt’s daughter FINALLY confirmed what we’ve all thought for a long time: Diddy PUSHED me down and forced me to…

CELEBRITY2 weeks ago

“Kylie Kelce Turns Down Taylor Swift’s Home-Cooked Meal During Double Date with Travis and Jason Kelce: Here’s Why

CELEBRITY2 weeks ago

Suri Cruise 18-year-old daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, spotted crying on phone while out and about in New York, after she got a call that her mother Katie Holmes and estranged father Tom Cruise has been confirmed…Read More

CELEBRITY2 weeks ago

Congratulations: Kylie Jenner, 27, is engaged to boyfriend Timothée Chalamet I, 28, after the Actor recently threw his fiancée Kylie Jenner a LAVISH Surprise Party for her birthday and also announce they are expecting a… See More

NEWS3 weeks ago

5 minutes Ago – The United States Is Mourning Today As Heartbreaking News Has Just Been Reported About US former President Joe Biden…SEE THE HEARTBREAKING NEWS👇👇

Copyright © 2024 USAmium