A senior Hamas official called on the United States to pressure Israel to end the conflict in Gaza, just ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to the region on Monday to advance ceasefire efforts. Blinken will travel to Egypt and Israel to break the deadlock between Israel and Hamas over a phased deal that would include the release of the 33 Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
He will also urge Israel to increase the flow of desperately needed food aid into Gaza, where the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushed north Gaza to the brink of famine, and driven around 80% of the 2.3 million residents of the enclave from their homes. On Monday, aid groups said they had seen an uptick in supplies entering Gaza but that it is not enough to prevent a looming famine.
Hamas leaders have insisted that the fighting will not end until all of their demands are met, including a complete dismantling of the Palestinian militant group’s military and governmental capabilities. Israeli officials have signaled that they would consider a phased truce. Still, the two sides remain far apart on critical issues, including whether the war would eventually end in exchange for the release of the hostages or as part of a more significant agreement on a renewed peace process.
During his talks with Netanyahu on Tuesday, Blinken made clear that the United States will not tolerate an attack on northern Gaza that would force Palestinians to flee their homes and that displaced Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes as soon as conditions allow. He will also press Netanyahu on the need to ensure that Israel does not expand its offensive into Lebanon, where it has struck several Hezbollah positions.
The meeting with Netanyahu took place just hours after Israeli warplanes struck a refugee camp in the southern Gaza city of Nuseirat, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens more. The two men greeted each other warmly but did not speak publicly, and the meeting ended without a statement from either side.
Ahead of Blinken’s trip, 57 Democratic members of Congress signed an open letter urging him to call on Israel not to invade Rafah and that the United States should withhold offensive weaponry and other military support for Israel that could be used in such an invasion. Reps led them. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.). It was the second time lawmakers had written to the president requesting that he withhold such assistance and the first since he announced plans to dispatch an additional 5,000 troops to the Middle East. The influx of U.S. personnel in the region is intended to counter growing Iranian influence, which is seeking to undercut any prospects for a future Palestinian state alongside Israel.
