US Secretary Blinken To Visit Israel, West Bank in Bid To Extend Gaza Cease-fire
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Israel and the West Bank this week, aiming to prolong the temporary cease-fire in Gaza and facilitate the release of more hostages. This marks Blinken’s third visit to the region since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israeli communities, massacring around 1,200 people and abducting approximately 240 hostages.
Blinken’s Middle East trip follows his attendance at Ukraine-focused meetings in Brussels and Skopje, where he will join foreign ministers from NATO and the Organization for Peace and Security in Europe. His arrival in the region coincides with the impending expiration of the two-day extension to the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
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Since the cease-fire’s initiation on Friday, Hamas has released 50 Israeli women and children, along with 18 foreign nationals and a dual Russian-Israeli citizen, under separate agreements. In response, Israel has freed 150 Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli Government Secretariat has proposed expanding the prisoner exchange list by around 60 names, increasing the scope for negotiations.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed the US’s hope for a further truce extension, contingent on Hamas’ continuation of hostage releases. Blinken’s agenda includes discussions on Israel’s self-defense, hostage liberation efforts, and humanitarian aid acceleration in Gaza. He will also address the post-conflict situation in Gaza and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Blinken is expected to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, emphasizing the PA’s role in governing post-conflict Gaza. This stance faces opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cites the PA’s support for terrorists and its silence on Hamas’ atrocities.
Concluding his Middle East tour, Blinken will head to the United Arab Emirates to engage with regional leaders attending the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
