U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting Tuesday with Israeli leaders in an effort to prevent the war in Gaza from escalating into a regional conflict, while the Israeli army has stated that its fight against Hamas will continue throughout the year. Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv late Monday evening to brief Israeli officials on his two-day discussions with Arab leaders regarding an end to the war that erupted following the Hamas attack on Israel, which Tel Aviv claims resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people on October 7.
Blinken stated that he would press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on the urgent need to do more to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need. He added that Israel should allow displaced Palestinian civilians to return home in Gaza, in response to calls from right-wing coalition members in Israel urging them to relocate elsewhere. Axios reported, citing two senior Israeli officials, that Israeli leaders would inform Blinken that they would not permit Palestinians from northern Gaza to return if Hamas refused to release more Israeli hostages taken on October 7.
Netanyahu has pledged to continue the campaign until Hamas is destroyed, but he is facing increasing pressure from the United States, Israel's closest ally, and from Arab leaders to scale back the offensive. U.S. President Joe Biden stated he is working "quietly" to encourage Israel to lessen its attacks and "significantly exit from Gaza." On Monday, Biden encountered protesters chanting "stop the fire now" during his visit to a historic Black church in South Carolina.
Israeli officials noted that the operation has entered a new phase of more targeted warfare, but fighting has not quelled as of Monday. Blinken is visiting Tel Aviv after discussions in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, attempting to chart a way out of the deadliest chapter yet in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This marks his fourth visit to the region since October.
Informed sources told Reuters that Israel is also conducting an unprecedented wave of deadly strikes in Syria targeting trucks, infrastructure, and individuals involved in the transfer of Iranian weapons to Tehran's proxies in the region. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the Wall Street Journal that the country is determined to end Hamas's rule in Gaza and deter other Iran-backed adversaries.
Blinken stated that Israel must allow displaced Palestinian civilians to return to their homes in Gaza, countering calls from right-wing coalition members to relocate elsewhere. Axios reported, based on two senior Israeli officials, that Israeli leaders would inform Blinken they would not allow Palestinians from northern Gaza to return if Hamas does not release more Israeli hostages taken on October 7. Israel claims that Hamas still holds more than 100 hostages from the 240 taken during the October 7 attack.
Residents reported that Israel bombarded the eastern part of Khan Yunis and the center of Gaza amid ground clashes. Israel confirmed the death of four soldiers in Gaza on Monday, raising its military fatalities in the war to 182. Israel also reported striking a weapons cache and discovering a tunnel opening in central Gaza, killing at least ten active militants in Khan Yunis. Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, stated that its fighters fired rockets at Tel Aviv in response to what they termed "Zionist massacres against civilians."
After talks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Blinken approached Tel Aviv to seek an exit from this deadliest stage of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al-Ula, Blinken noted that he still finds support among Arab leaders for Israel's aim of normalizing relations. However, he indicated that this requires ending the conflict in Gaza and a practical path towards a Palestinian state.
The Saudi news agency reported that the Crown Prince, the de facto ruler of the Kingdom, emphasized the importance of halting hostilities and paving the way for peace. The official agency reported that the Prince, who was leading rapproachment efforts between his country and Israel prior to the outbreak of war, stressed the necessity of ensuring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Jordanian King Abdullah expressed on Monday that "aggression and indiscriminate bombing" can never achieve peace and security. In statements made at the genocide memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, the Jordanian monarch stated, "The number of child casualties in Gaza has exceeded the child casualties in all the conflicts and wars witnessed worldwide over the past year combined. Many surviving children have lost one or both parents. We face a whole generation of orphans."
Leaflets were dropped over central Gaza warning residents to evacuate several areas designated as "dangerous combat zones." Hamas reported that a sniper killed an Israeli soldier in central Gaza. Almost all residents of Gaza have fled their homes at least once, and many continue to move, often seeking refuge in temporary tents.
