On Tuesday, October 22, US Secretary of State Blinken visited Jerusalem and met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss issues such as hostage release, Iranian threats, and aid to Gaza. This marks Blinken’s 11th visit to the Middle East since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict.
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister issued a statement stating that Netanyahu and Blinken held a two-and-a-half-hour meeting that was friendly and productive.
The US State Department statement emphasized the need to seize the opportunity presented by the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to bring all hostages back home, end the Gaza conflict, and provide lasting security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Sinwar orchestrated a deadly armed attack from Gaza into Israeli territory on October 7 last year, sparking a devastating year-long war. Currently, over 100 hostages remain in the hands of Hamas.
The State Department further added that Blinken discussed the importance of charting a new course in the later stages of the conflict, allowing Palestinians to rebuild their lives, and providing governance, security, and reconstruction for Gaza. The Secretary of State stressed the need for Israel to take more measures to increase and sustain humanitarian aid to Gaza and ensure aid reaches civilians throughout Gaza.
Netanyahu stated that Israel is making efforts to bring back hostages still held in Gaza, eliminate Sinwar to achieve all war objectives, and have a positive impact post-conflict.
He also suggested that Lebanon needs security and political reforms to allow displaced Israelis to safely return to their homes along the border.
The statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office also mentioned discussions on the “Iran threat,” with Blinken expressing shock over the drone attack on Netanyahu’s residence over the weekend.
Meeting records show that no agreement was reached between the US and Israel on the future development of Gaza. Blinken reiterated the US’s “firm” commitment to Israel’s security and the necessity of preventing “Iran and its proxies from further regional aggression.”
Just hours before Blinken landed in Jerusalem, Hezbollah launched a series of rockets toward central Israel, triggering air raid sirens in densely populated areas and the international airport, but causing no significant damage or casualties.
Ahead of Blinken’s visit, the US State Department stated that he would focus on ending the Gaza conflict, ensuring the release of hostages held by Hamas, and alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
For months, the US, Egypt, and Qatar have been mediating to reach a ceasefire agreement for Hamas to release hundreds of hostages in exchange for ending the war, achieving a long-term ceasefire, and releasing Palestinian prisoners.
However, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of making new, unacceptable demands this summer, causing negotiations to stall in August. Hamas stated that its demands have not changed since Sinwar’s killing.
This is Blinken’s final visit to the Middle East before the US elections, and it is expected that he will also visit Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been shuttling around the Middle East in recent days, trying to garner support before Israel retaliates. On Tuesday, during a speech in Kuwait, he stated that Gulf Arab countries had assured him that they would not allow Israel to use their territory for any attacks.
Gulf Arab countries have not publicly made such assurances.