US Secretary of State Antony Blinken once again headed to the Middle East on Monday (October 21) to seek restarting negotiations and promoting a ceasefire agreement to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
This marks Blinken’s 11th trip to the Middle East since the conflict erupted in October last year. The US State Department stated that his journey will commence in Israel, but did not provide details on other specific destinations.
Blinken stated on social media that he will be in the Middle East to “deeply discuss the importance of ending the Gaza war, releasing hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
However, intense fighting continues between Israel and Iran-backed armed groups as Blinken embarked on his visit.
On Monday, Israel carried out several attacks on the southern outskirts of Beirut, including one near the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the main government hospital in the capital. The Health Ministry reported 4 deaths, including a child, and 24 injuries.
The Israeli military mentioned that they targeted a “Hezbollah terrorist objective” near the hospital but emphasized that the hospital facilities were not hit, adding that Hezbollah “systematically embeds its terrorist assets within civilian populations.”
In the past month, Israel has eliminated several Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, yet there are no signs indicating a decrease in the Israeli military’s ground and aerial offensives.
Following a year of pursuit, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed last week, marking a significant victory for Israel. However, Israeli leaders reiterated that the war is not over and must continue until the terrorist organization is eradicated.
Iran and its proxies stated that Sinwar’s death will strengthen their resolve.
The US State Department mentioned that Blinken will discuss with Israeli and Arab leaders the importance of ending the Gaza conflict, forming post-conflict plans for Gaza, and how to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah through diplomatic means.
On Monday, US envoy Amos Hochstein held talks in Beirut with Lebanese officials, as well as discussed ceasefire conditions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hochstein stated that both sides committing to upholding UN Resolution 1701 is “insufficient.” The resolution ended the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
He mentioned that neither Hezbollah nor Israel have fully implemented the UN resolution, and while it serves as the basis for ending current hostilities, the US is striving to determine additional steps to ensure the resolution is executed fairly, accurately, and transparently.
Hochstein expressed, “We hope to achieve a comprehensive solution to end this conflict once and for all.”
The Israeli military stated that one of their recent airstrikes targeted the “Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association,” known as the Charity Loans Association.
The Charity Loans Association is a financial institution with over thirty branches throughout Lebanon. Despite being registered as a charity, it has been providing interest-free loans to customers in exchange for gold deposits since the 1980s. However, it has long been sanctioned by the US.
The US designates the institution as used by Hezbollah to facilitate its financial activities, evade scrutiny, and enter the international financial system. Israel accuses it of paying agents of Iran-backed radical organizations and assisting in purchasing weapons.
Neither the organization, Hezbollah, nor the Lebanese government have issued immediate statements.
Meanwhile, Syrian state television quoted a military source saying that a vehicle was attacked in Damascus, Syria’s capital, on Monday, resulting in at least 2 deaths and 3 injuries.
The Israeli military claimed that the airstrike killed the head of Hezbollah’s funding department.
(reference: Reuters)