The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed on Wednesday for a halt to fighting between Israel and militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah as Israeli air strikes struck a large historic Lebanese port city. Blinken landed in the Middle East on a trip aimed at reviving diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza war and secure the return of dozens of missing Palestinians. But heavy Israeli air strikes on the UNESCO-listed port of Tyre in south Lebanon demonstrated that there would be no respite, as massive clouds of thick smoke billowed above residential buildings. The escalation came after Israel began to bomb Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as part of its retaliation for Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attack against Israel.
The US official said he was encouraged by signs that some progress could be made in the current conflict, but there was still a long way to go. “We want to turn those tactical successes into enduring strategic successes, and that means two things—getting the hostages back home and ending the war with an understanding of what will follow,” he said.
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He said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar would likely have a positive impact on those talks and the overall war but that gaps remained between the sides over terms for a cease-fire and hostage and prisoner exchanges afterward. The US had been working to broker the talks, but they stalled after Israel accused Hamas of making new and unacceptable demands.
Blinken also reiterated that Washington would not accept Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel and warned Tehran against any further attacks on the country. He is seeking to head off a further escalation in the region as Israelis fear that the war with Hezbollah and its retaliation for an Iranian rocket attack will lead to a full-blown regional war.
After meeting Netanyahu, Blinken traveled to regional power and close US ally Saudi Arabia, where he met with Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. He was expected to meet with other Arab leaders as well.
Blinken’s 11th trip to the Middle East since the start of the Gaza war is largely focused on reviving the failed diplomatic efforts. He will also visit Egypt and Qatar, where the US has been trying to revive peace talks.