U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated today, Thursday, that "the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza is yielding results, with the release of hostages in the sector and the entry of humanitarian aid, and he expressed hope for its continuation." During his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Blinken noted, "This process is yielding results, it is important, and we hope for its continuation." He added, "The United States strongly supports Israel's right to defend itself and its efforts to ensure that the events of October 7 do not occur again," referring to the Hamas attack on southern Israel that sparked the Gaza war.
The Israeli police reported that while Blinken and Herzog were meeting in Tel Aviv this morning, two Palestinian attackers opened fire on a bus station during rush hour at one of the entrances to Jerusalem, resulting in at least three deaths and eight injuries. Both Blinken and Herzog condemned the attack.
Israel and Hamas reached a last-minute agreement earlier today, Thursday, to extend the ongoing six-day ceasefire in Gaza for another day to allow negotiators to continue working on deals to exchange hostages held in the coastal sector for Palestinian prisoners. This ceasefire brought the first period of calm to Gaza after seven weeks of heavy Israeli bombardment in response to the October 7 attack. It also allowed much-needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, which has been largely turned into a wasteland due to the retaliatory military assault by Israel.
A Palestinian official indicated that Blinken, who is making his third visit to the region since October 7, is also expected to visit the West Bank where he is likely to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The U.S. Secretary of State is also expected to discuss the looming Israeli attack on southern Gaza. Senior U.S. officials have indicated that the U.S. is calling on Israel to exercise greater caution to protect Palestinian civilians and minimize damage to infrastructure in any upcoming attack in the south.
Blinken stated, "I look forward to detailed discussions with the Israeli government about the future in Gaza." Israel has pledged to eliminate Hamas, which governs the sector. Health authorities in Gaza report that Israeli shelling of the densely populated small enclave has thus far resulted in the deaths of more than 15,000 people.
