U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to hold talks with Israeli officials regarding the war on Gaza, marking his fifth visit since the conflict commenced on October 7th, 2023.
Blinken's visit is part of his regional tour, which has included stops in Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia thus far.
Before his arrival, the American minister stated he would relay to the Israeli officials the sentiments he gathered from leaders of the countries he had visited, discussing the future direction of their military campaign in Gaza and his vision for the region's and Israel's future.
Blinken found that leaders in the region are determined to prevent the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He added before leaving Riyadh, that everyone he spoke with recognizes the size of the challenges faced, and no one believes that solutions will come overnight.
Conversely, Israeli officials have said they will inform the U.S. Secretary of State that Palestinians will not return to Northern Gaza unless Hamas releases more detainees.
According to NBC, a senior U.S. official has stated that Blinken will urge Israel to end the military campaign as soon as possible. The Secretary of State will also ask Israel to resort to focused military operations to minimize civilian casualties.
A Choice Between Two Paths
Meanwhile, CNN reported that a Biden administration official mentioned the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, must choose between the tactics employed by his Security and Finance Ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, and those that would be satisfactory to Washington.
Ben-Gvir and Smotrich recently declared their support for what they described as "voluntary relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip".
Israeli media report that the U.S. Secretary of State is scheduled to meet this morning with President Isaac Herzog and later with Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, the Prime Minister, and the war council.
Blinken may also meet with families of Israelis detained in the Gaza Strip, while Yair Lapid, the opposition leader, is expected to have a meeting tomorrow morning.
According to Anadolu Agency, since the beginning of the war, Washington has provided Tel Aviv with the strongest possible military, intelligence, and diplomatic support. Critics consider the United States complicit in Israeli war crimes in Gaza, though some U.S. officials' statements indicate opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has waged a destructive war on the besieged enclave, which as of Monday, resulted in approximately 23,000 martyrs and 58,416 injured, most of whom are children and women. The conflict has also caused massive destruction to infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to official Palestinian and international sources.
