US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that “now is the time” to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza, urging Israel to refrain from further escalation with Iran.
Israel is engaged in combat against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has vowed to retaliate for Iran’s missile strike on October 1.
In Lebanon, the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order for the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Wednesday, warning of upcoming operations aimed at Hezbollah.
This warning led to a fresh exodus from the once-bustling city, which sits on the Mediterranean coast.
“You could say that the entire city of Tyre is being evacuated,” remarked Bilal Kashmar, the unit’s media officer.
Mr. Blinken’s visit to the region marks his 11th since the war began in Gaza and his first since the violence between Israel and Hezbollah escalated to full-scale war at the end of last month.
The conflict in Gaza was ignited by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 individuals, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that hit an area in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has resulted in the deaths of 42,718 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures provided by the territory’s health ministry, which are deemed reliable by the UN.
“Since October 7 a year ago, Israel has accomplished most of its strategic goals concerning Gaza… Now is the time to transform those achievements into lasting, strategic success,” Mr. Blinken declared as he departed Israel, following discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
Regarding aid to Gaza, Mr. Blinken noted that he observed “progress being made, which is positive, but additional progress is necessary, and, most critically, it must be sustained.”
Speaking on Israel’s vow to retaliate for Iran’s October 1 missile attack, the top US diplomat mentioned: “It’s crucial for Israel to respond in ways that do not provoke greater escalation.”
After visiting Israel, Mr. Blinken will proceed to Saudi Arabia, which has paused talks toward a normalization agreement with Israel until a Palestinian state is established.
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The US diplomat encouraged Israel to take advantage of what he described as an “incredible opportunity” to negotiate a deal with Saudi Arabia.
Previous US endeavors to halt the Gaza war and mitigate the regional fallout have faltered, as did an initiative led by President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to achieve a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
In his meeting with Mr. Netanyahu yesterday, Antony Blinken urged his ally to leverage the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza to pursue a ceasefire.
Sinwar was the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the Gaza war.
Celebrating his death, Mr. Netanyahu asserted that this did not signify the end of the war, although he indicated it could mark the beginning of the end.
The militants also captured 251 hostages and brought them back to Gaza, with ninety-seven still held there, including thirty-four that the Israeli military has stated are deceased.
A man walks past the rubble of a collapsed building in Beirut’s southern suburb of Shayah.
During his meeting with the Israeli premier in Jerusalem, Mr. Blinken “emphasized the need to capitalize” on Sinwar’s death, according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
This would involve “securing the release of all hostages and concluding the conflict in Gaza in a manner that ensures lasting security for both Israelis and Palestinians,” he added.
Benjamin Netanyahu informed Mr. Blinken that Sinwar’s death “could positively impact the return of hostages,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
Mr. Blinken further urged that more aid be permitted into besieged Gaza amid rising concerns for tens of thousands of civilians trapped by fighting in the hard-to-reach north.
Israel initiated a significant air and ground assault in northern Gaza this month, committed to stopping Hamas militants from regrouping in the area.
The sole medical facility still partially operational in the targeted region has “no medicine or medical supplies,” cautioned Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hossam Abu Safia.
“People are being killed in the streets, and we can’t assist them. Bodies are lying in the streets.”
In Lebanon, the Israeli military cautioned residents of parts of Tyre to evacuate their areas ahead of operations targeting Hezbollah militants.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency also reported on “intense enemy strikes” in several locations across the Tyre district.
Hezbollah maintained its assaults on Israel, declaring it had launched rockets at an Israeli military intelligence facility located in the suburbs of the commercial center, Tel Aviv.
After nearly a year of conflict with Hamas in Gaza, Israel shifted its focus to Lebanon in late September, determined to secure its northern border amidst fire from Hezbollah.
Israel escalated its airstrikes on what it claims are “Hezbollah strongholds” throughout the country and deployed ground troops late last month, in a war that has resulted in at least 1,552 fatalities since September 23, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
Yesterday, the Israeli army reported that it had killed the Hezbollah cleric expected to succeed the group’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike three weeks ago.
While Hezbollah has yet to confirm Hashem Safieddine’s death, a high-ranking source close to the group stated that the militant leader had been unreachable since the strikes.
“We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement, and much of Hezbollah’s senior leadership,” asserted Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi in a statement.
The Israeli military again targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, a once densely populated Hezbollah stronghold, after issuing new evacuation orders for residents in the area.
