U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday, kicking off a visit aimed at intensifying diplomatic efforts to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza this week.
This marks Blinken’s tenth trip to the region since October, when hostilities between the terrorist organization and Israel erupted.
A senior State Department official confirmed that the secretary is scheduled to meet with key Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday.
Following his visit to Israel, Blinken will continue his tour in Egypt.
A senior Biden administration official, briefing reporters en route to Tel Aviv, described the discussions on a cease-fire deal and the release of hostages held in Gaza as being at an “inflection point.” The official emphasized that Blinken would be stressing the importance of finalizing this agreement to all parties involved.
“We think this is a critical time,” the official stated.
“The goal of this trip, starting with Israel, is to continue to underscore the importance of getting this done,” the official added. “It is clear that a deal would not only serve the interests of the Israeli people but also help alleviate the suffering in Gaza.”
Qatar, the U.S., and Egypt are acting as mediators in the talks, although none have managed to achieve a breakthrough in reaching an agreement after months of on-and-off negotiations.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Sunday, asserting that serial leaks are hindering progress in securing a deal.
“For months, they claimed Hamas would never agree to ending the war as a condition for a deal and proposed giving in to Hamas’s demands,” the statement read. “They were wrong then – and they are also wrong today. The Prime Minister has strongly insisted on this fundamental demand, which is vital to achieving the goals of the war, and Hamas changed its position.”
Netanyahu’s office indicated that the prime minister remains insistent on Israeli forces maintaining a presence in a border strip between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.
“The Prime Minister will continue to work on advancing a deal that will maximize the number of living hostages and which will enable the achieving of all of the war objectives,” the office added.
‘ Yonat Friling and Reuters contributed to this report.