WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will depart for the Middle East on Monday, the State Department said, as Washington is pushing to kickstart ceasefire negotiations to end the Gaza war following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The top US diplomat’s latest trip to the region, his eleventh since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that triggered the Gaza war, comes even as Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza and in Lebanon against Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah.
Blinken will discuss with regional leaders the importance of ending the Gaza war, ways to chart a post-conflict plan for the Palestinian enclave, as well as how to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the State Department said in a statement.
The top diplomat’s trip will start with Israel, the State Department said, but did not provide the other exact destinations.
“Throughout the region, Secretary Blinken will discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people,” the State Department said in a statement.
“He will continue discussions on post-conflict period planning and emphasize the need to chart a new path forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives,” it said.
US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, and several other Western leaders have said they all would like the year-long Gaza war to end after Israel last week killed Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already said the war will continue, and analysts say he may prefer to wait out the end of Biden’s term, which ends in January, and take his chances with the next president, whether Harris or her Republican rival Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has had close ties.
Blinken will also underscore that additional food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid must be delivered to civilians in Gaza, the State Department said.
Israel has stepped up its military campaign in Gaza in recent days. As the fighting has continued, health officials have reported shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies to treat patients in the three remaining hospitals still partially operating in the area.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas killed around 1,200 people, with another 253 taken back to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s subsequent war has devastated Gaza, killing more than 42,500 Palestinians, with another 10,000 uncounted dead thought to lie under the rubble, Gaza health authorities say.
Blinken heads to the Middle East as US looks to kick start Gaza ceasefire talks
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Blinken heads to the Middle East as US looks to kick start Gaza ceasefire talks
- His latest trip to the region comes as Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza and in Lebanon against Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah
- Blinken will discuss with regional leaders the importance of ending Gaza war and ways to chart a post-war plan
Arab League head urges ceasefire, calls for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories
BEIRUT: Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Monday in Beirut that the league’s priority was to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, and he called for Israel’s prompt withdrawal from any Lebanese territories it has occupied or entered.
Aboul Gheit was also asked if Hezbollah could be destroyed, to which he replied: “You cannot destroy an idea.”
Envoy Hochstein says US working with Lebanon and Israel to end conflict for good
- “Both sides simply committing to (UN resolution) 1701 is not enough,” Hochstein said
BEIRUT: US special envoy Amos Hochstein said on Monday in Beirut that the United States was working with both Israel and Lebanon to find a formula that would end their conflict for good.
UN resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in 2006, calls for southern Lebanon to be free of any troops or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state.
The Iranian-backed Shiite movement did not end its presence, however.
Continued cross-border tensions culminated in Hezbollah missile attacks on northern Israel in support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it staged a bloody killing spree in Israel from Gaza just over a year ago. Israel began a large-scale onslaught on Hezbollah last month.
Hochstein, visiting Lebanon for the second time in two months, was holding talks with Lebanese officials in a new US mediation push to bring peace to the Middle East after Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week.
“Both sides simply committing to (UN resolution) 1701 is not enough,” Hochstein told a press conference.
“We are working with government of Lebanon, the state of Lebanon, as well as the government of Israel to get to a formula that brings an end to this conflict once and for all.”
Israel’s assault on Hezbollah has raised fears of a wider regional conflict between Israel and Hezbollah’s patron, Iran.
Hochstein said that he held a “very constructive” meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, who has been engaging in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Lufthansa extends suspension of Tel Aviv flights to Nov 10
Berlin: German airline group Lufthansa said Monday it was extending the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv to November 10 as Israel is at war in Gaza and Lebanon.
“The Lufthansa Group airlines... have decided to extend the suspension of their flights to Tel Aviv up to and including 10 November 2024,” the company said in a statement.
Crowd in Egypt attacks a railway guard after 2 children are ran over
- A crowd descended on the intersection near the town of Bilaydah in the city of Al-Ayat, where a train earlier killed two children trying to cross
- Officials said they attacked a guard and set fire to his room. It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to the guard
CAIRO: Angry residents attacked a railway guard and his post in a town outside Cairo on Monday after a train ran over and killed two children crossing a train intersection that was closed to pedestrians, officials said.
A crowd descended on the intersection near the town of Bilaydah in the city of Al-Ayat, where a train earlier killed two children trying to cross, according to the Egyptian National Railways.
They attacked the guard who was securing the level crossing and set fire to his room, officials said. It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to the guard.
Local media reported that the two children were on their way to school.
Train accidents are common in Egypt. A train crash earlier this month killed one person and injured more than 20 others in southern Egypt.
In recent years, the government has announced initiatives to improve railways.
UAE president attends dinner hosted by Russia’s President Putin
DUBAI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended a dinner hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the latter’s official residence, state news agency WAM reported.
During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed expressed his gratitude to Putin for his continued efforts in strengthening UAE-Russian relations and conveyed his wishes for Russia’s prosperity.
Putin welcomed Sheikh Mohamed’s visit, commending his role in enhancing bilateral ties and elevating them to a strategic partnership.
