U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that it is “time to end the war” in Gaza.
He mentioned that Israel has acted on 12 of the 15 steps recommended in a letter he and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin sent a month ago, which urged measures to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “Of the 15 actions we advocated for, Israel has either fully implemented or is in the process of implementing 12,” Blinken explained.
He highlighted three areas where further action from Israel is needed: enabling displaced civilians to return home, reopening commercial trucking, and extending humanitarian pauses in Gaza to ensure aid
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Blinken expressed that, despite these measures, the ongoing crisis is so severe that the best solution is to end the war. He noted that Israel has met its own strategic objectives and suggested, “This should be the time to end the war.”
He also stressed that Israeli hostages should be returned safely and that a clear plan should be in place for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, without allowing Hamas to regain control in the region.
“But until the war ends, which we believe should happen soon, these humanitarian measures must be fully implemented and maintained, particularly by extending pauses in fighting,” he added.
Since Israel began its offensive in Gaza on October 7, 2023, over 43,700 casualties have been reported, with widespread destruction rendering much of Gaza uninhabitable. Israel now faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
