Blinken in Tel Aviv to meet top Israeli leadership as ceasefire talks hits roadblock
Tel Aviv, Aug 19 (IANS) The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet Israel President Issac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday.
He arrived here late Sunday night even as the indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas held in Doha, Qatar on Thursday and Friday at the behest of the US have now hit a roadblock. Both sides — Israel and Hamas — have accused each other of backtracking from their avowed positions.
While Hamas alleges Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu of scuttling the peace talks by bringing in new conditions for peace, Israel said that Hamas was not for peace and that the militant organisation has not even sent a delegation to the indirect peace talks held at Doha on last Thursday and Friday.
Sources in the Israel government told IANS that Antony Blinken, who is on his 9th visit to the Middle East since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, will hold a series of meetings with the top Israeli leadership to ensure that the proposed Cairo peace talks likely to be held on Wednesday takes place smoothly.
With the US President elections taking place this year, President Joe Biden is keen that the Israel-Hamas fight ends at the earliest. The talks are taking place in the shadow of a feared regional escalation as Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on July 31.
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families forum has called upon the Israeli government to bring the hostages back home at the earliest. It may be recalled that on October 7, 2023, Hamas militants swarmed southern Israel, brutally massacred 1,200 people, kidnapped 251 people and took them as hostages to Gaza.
Of this 105 people were released following an exchange of prisoner deal during a one-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The Hostages and Families forum has stated that of the 115 hostages who are in Gaza,39 have been confirmed dead by the Israeli government. The families want the remaining hostages to be brought back home at the earliest.
–IANS
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