By MATTHEW LEE and JOSEF FEDERMAN (Associated Press)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East once again without an agreement as Israel’s prime minister rejected American pleas to cancel a planned ground attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is full of displaced civilians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's firm stance sets the stage for potentially difficult talks in Washington next week between top US officials and a high-level Israeli delegation. Netanyahu stated that Israel is prepared to act in Rafah on its own if necessary. Despite their differences, the Biden administration has continued to give crucial military aid and diplomatic support, even as Israel's conflict with Hamas has resulted in more than 32,000 deaths in Gaza and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and claims that the group’s forces there must be defeated for Israel to achieve its war goals. Following Hamas's attack on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage, Israel promised to eliminate Hamas and launched a severe air and ground offensive. Hamas has been labeled a terrorist group by the US, Canada, and EU. Rafah now houses over 1 million Palestinians who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza. Most of the international community, including the US, is concerned that an Israeli ground invasion will threaten civilian lives and hinder the distribution of urgently needed humanitarian aid into the territory, which mainly comes through Rafah.
Netanyahu stated that he informed Blinken that Israel is working on plans to evacuate civilians from combat zones and address the humanitarian needs of Gaza, where international aid officials say the entire population is suffering from food insecurity and faces an impending famine in the severely affected north. “I also said that we have no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah,” Netanyahu said. “I told him that I hope we would do this with US support but if necessary – we will do it alone.” Blinken, concluding his sixth visit to the Middle East since the war began, informed reporters that the US shares Israel’s objective of defeating Hamas. He made it clear that a major ground operation in Rafah is not the way to achieve this. The pending invasion of Rafah has cast a shadow over ongoing efforts to negotiate a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Blinken acknowledged “there’s still a lot of work to be done” after also meeting with Arab leaders during his trip this week. in Gaza.
RAFAH TENSIONS RISING
The US initially strongly supported Israel after the October 7 attack. But relations have increasingly deteriorated as the war stretches into its fifth month. Gaza health officials announced on Friday that at least 32,070 people have been killed, and around two thirds of them are women and children. Israel maintains that one-third of those killed are Hamas members, and claims the group is responsible for civilian casualties by hiding and operating in residential areas. The U.S. stance on a Rafah operation has changed in the past few days. Initially, U.S. officials called for a plan to evacuate civilians from dangerous areas. Now, they state that there is no credible way to do so. Blinken stated, “It risks causing more civilian deaths. It risks creating more chaos in providing humanitarian assistance. It risks further isolating Israel internationally and putting its long-term security and standing at risk.”U.S. officials claim that the only way to avoid a civilian disaster is through other options, including specifically targeted operations against known Hamas fighters and commanders.
Approximately three quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have fled into Rafah, the southernmost point before the Egyptian border. The city is now covered with sprawling tent camps. The city is now covered with sprawling tent camps. The U.S. will present its ideas for alternatives at upcoming meetings, where a delegation led by Netanyahu’s national security adviser and a member of Israel’s War Cabinet will go to Washington. Israel’s defense minister, also a member of the War Cabinet, will also visit.
Blinken noted that discussions would focus on post-war plans, another area of disagreement.
The U.S. wishes for the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority – which Hamas removed from Gaza in 2007 – to regain power in the region, along with a clear path towards an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence or a role for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank, and insists that Israel must maintain long-term security control.
AN ELUSIVE CEASE-FIRE
AN ELUSIVE CEASE-FIRE
International mediators, led by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, have been working on a cease-fire to pause or end the war in Gaza.
Israel is seeking the release of the more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, while Hamas wants an end — not a temporary pause — to the war along with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Hamas wants Israel to release large numbers of Palestinian prisoners.
After his talks with Israeli leaders, Blinken met with families of hostages who hold U.S. citizenship before departing. He later greeted a small group of protesters who gathered in solidarity with the families outside his hotel. As he walked by the crowd, protesters chanted “Blinken, thank you.” He stated that the U.S. was “working to bring them home” and shook hands. Blinken told reporters that progress has been made in recent weeks, but the final gaps “tend to be the hardest.”
“There’s still a lot of work to be done, hard work to be done,” he said.
To aid these efforts, he also mentioned the need to increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza. He mentioned that “some positive steps” have been taken in recent days.
But it’s not enough.
But it’s not enough.
Israel states it imposes no restrictions on the amounts of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. However, international aid groups claim that deliveries have been hindered by Israeli military restrictions, ongoing hostilities, and the breakdown of public order. Only a small amount of food has been allowed into Gaza, causing as many as 60% of children under 5 to be malnourished. This is a huge increase from fewer than 1% before the war, according to the head of the World Health Organization on Thursday..
U.N. RESOLUTION WAS ‘CYNICALLY VETOED’
At the United Nations, Russia and China
vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution supporting “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war. The two countries called the measure unclear and said it did not directly demand an end to the fighting, which many countries want. over Gaza.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor and three against, including Algeria, the Arab representative on the council. Guyana abstained.
A key issue was the unusual language that said the Security Council “determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire.” The wording was not a direct “demand” or “call” to stop hostilities.
It also seemed to relax, but not eliminate, previous U.S. demands for Hamas to release all hostages as part of a cease-fire.
Blinken said the measure was “cynically vetoed” and should have been accepted.
“We were trying to show the international community’s urgency in getting a cease-fire linked to the release of hostages,” Blinken said. He also said it had aimed to condemn Hamas. “It’s hard to understand why countries couldn’t do that.”
Federman reported from Jerusalem.
The stern message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sets the stage for potentially tough discussions next week in Washington between top U.S. officials and a high-level Israeli delegation.
Toward those efforts, he said he also discussed the need to increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza. He said “some positive steps” have been taken in recent days. “But it’s not enough.”
Israel says it places no restrictions on the amounts of humanitarian aid it allows into Gaza. But international aid groups say deliveries have been impeded by Israeli military restrictions, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order.
So little food has been allowed into Gaza that up to 60% of children under 5 are now malnourished, compared with fewer than 1% before the war began, the head of the World Health Organization said Thursday.
U.N. RESOLUTION WAS ‘CYNICALLY VETOED’
At the United Nations, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution supporting “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war. The two countries called the measure ambiguous and said it was not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world seeks.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor and three against, including Algeria, the Arab representative on the council. Guyana abstained.
A key issue was the unusual language that said the Security Council “determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire.” The phrasing was not a straightforward “demand” or “call” to halt hostilities.
It also appeared to loosen, but not drop, previous U.S. demands that Hamas release all hostages as part of a cease-fire.
Blinken said the measure had been “cynically vetoed” and should have been embraced.
“We were trying to show the international community’s sense of urgency about getting a cease-fire tied to the release of hostages,” Blinken said. He also said it had sought to condemn Hamas. “It’s unimaginable why countries wouldn’t be able to do that.”
___
Federman reported from Jerusalem.
