U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials on Monday in an effort to break the deadlock in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Despite ongoing blame between Netanyahu and Hamas for the delays, Blinken is pushing to finalize an agreement.
After arriving in Tel Aviv on Sunday for his ninth visit to the Middle East since the Gaza conflict began following a Hamas attack on Israel in October, Blinken was set to meet with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and President Isaac Herzog. Following his meetings in Israel, Blinken plans to travel to Cairo on Tuesday, where ceasefire discussions will continue in the coming days.
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Diplomats suggest that a Gaza ceasefire deal could help prevent a broader conflict. A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, emphasized that this is “a particularly critical time,” and Blinken’s goal is to urge all parties to finalize the remaining details of the agreement.
Before his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Blinken described the Gaza ceasefire negotiations as a “decisive moment,” highlighting Washington’s diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas as potentially “the best, maybe the last opportunity” to also secure the release of hostages.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed optimism on Sunday that a Gaza ceasefire is still achievable, despite the ongoing blame between Israel and Hamas. Speaking to reporters after a weekend at Camp David, Biden confirmed that talks were continuing and that “we’re not giving up,” emphasizing that a deal is “still possible.”
