Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will step down from his post when US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office on January 20, recently spoke with The New York Times about the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza and the possibility of a ceasefire-prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
During the conversation, Blinken highlighted that a deal had come “so close on several occasions,” but pointed out two significant hurdles that prevented its realization. The first obstacle, he noted, was Hamas’ decision to back away from a prior commitment to a ceasefire and hostage release after they saw Israel under public pressure.
The second challenge, according to Blinken, is Hamas’ belief that a larger regional conflict would emerge, involving Hezbollah, Iran, and other parties attacking Israel. This would, in their view, keep Israel preoccupied, allowing Hamas to continue its actions without significant interference.
Blinken also discussed humanitarian aid to Gaza, recounting his first visit to Israel after the October 7 massacre. During this trip, he and his team spent nine hours trying to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow aid into Gaza. Blinken emphasized to the Times, “Israel was a totally traumatized society. This wasn’t just the prime minister or a given leader in Israel. This was an entire society that didn’t want any assistance getting to a single Palestinian in Gaza.”
US President Joe Biden had a scheduled visit to Israel shortly afterward, and Blinken leveraged this, warning that he would advise Biden to cancel the trip if Israel did not agree to provide aid to Gaza.
Hamas has reportedly taken control of about half of all aid entering Gaza, seizing it by force and selling it at high prices to fund its continued terrorist activities.
When asked if he believed there were still hostages alive in Gaza, Blinken confirmed his belief. However, when questioned whether Netanyahu had blocked a ceasefire agreement in July, Blinken responded, “No, that’s not accurate.” He further stated, “What we’ve seen time and again is Hamas not concluding a deal that it should have concluded,” adding, “Why there hasn’t been a unanimous chorus around the world for Hamas to put down its weapons, to give up the hostages, to surrender?”
{Matzav.com}