U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the Middle East on Sunday for a new round of talks aimed at pushing a ceasefire proposal in the devastating Israeli war in Gaza in exchange for Hamas releasing hostages. This marks Blinken's fifth trip to the region since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, following days of U.S. retaliatory strikes against Iran-linked factions in Iraq and Syria, the latest escalation in a conflict that President Joe Biden initially sought to avoid.
The trip comes as the Biden administration gradually shows more frustration toward Israel, imposing sanctions on Thursday against extremist settlers, even as Washington has not supported international calls for Israel to end its bloody military campaign. The ceasefire proposal under discussion, crafted during talks held a week ago in Paris with the participation of the CIA director and officials from Israel, Qatar, and Egypt, suggests a cessation of hostilities for an initial six weeks while Hamas releases hostages taken during its attack and Israel frees Palestinian prisoners, according to a Hamas source.
Blinken is scheduled to visit Israel, as well as Egypt and Qatar, the principal mediator with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and has an office in Doha. On Monday, after meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington, Blinken stated that there is "a real hope" for the success of "the strong and good proposal." Qatar also expressed optimism, although Hamas said it was too early to talk about reaching an agreement, alongside the division in Israel where hardliners oppose making significant concessions to the movement.
Hundreds gathered on Saturday night in Tel Aviv to call for the swift return of the hostages and early elections, denouncing the inability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government to secure their release. While U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan acknowledged the ongoing debate within Israel regarding the proposal, he emphasized that "the ball is in Hamas's court at the moment." Sullivan told CBS that Blinken would pressure Israel to allow more food, water, and medicine into Gaza, which has turned into ruins due to nearly four months of continuous bombing. He added, "This will be at the top of his priorities when he meets with the Israeli government - the needs of the Palestinian people will be at the center of the U.S. approach."
This comes as the United Nations and relief organizations warn about the risk of famine in Gaza due to significant shortages of food and drinking water as a result of the Israeli military campaign. Blinken's trip is expected to begin on Monday in Saudi Arabia, which had been considering steps to establish relations with Israel before the October 7 attack.
