{"id":2326694,"date":"2024-08-19T10:29:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T14:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blinken-now-is-the-time-to-secure-israel-hamas-ceasefire-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-19T10:35:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T14:35:27","slug":"blinken-now-is-the-time-to-secure-israel-hamas-ceasefire-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blinken-now-is-the-time-to-secure-israel-hamas-ceasefire-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Blinken: Now is the time to secure Israel-Hamas ceasefire &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fblinken-now-is-the-time-to-secure-israel-hamas-ceasefire-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2326694&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The ongoing Israel-Hamas \u2062ceasefire negotiations have reached a critical juncture as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasized the urgency of finalizing an agreement that would secure the release of hostages and alleviate the humanitarian crisis \u200bin Gaza after ten months of conflict. Blinken&#8217;s\u2063 ninth visit to the\u2064 Middle East since the\u2062 outbreak of violence reflects renewed optimism\u200d among mediators\u2014Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S.\u2014about the potential for a\u2063 ceasefire.\u200c However, there\u200b are significant\u2064 points of contention between Hamas and Israel,\u2064 with each side expressing \u2064dissatisfaction with\u200d the other&#8217;s proposals.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli officials indicate a willingness to negotiate flexibility\u2062 regarding certain demands but have also stated areas where they will not compromise. In\u200b the proposed plan, a three-phase process would see Hamas release all kidnapped individuals in exchange for Israel withdrawing its military presence and releasing Palestinian prisoners. Yet, Hamas accuses Israel \u2064of introducing new\u200c conditions that complicate \u2064the\u2062 negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>As talks are \u200bset to continue this\u200c week in Cairo,\u2063 Blinken aims to prevent any actions that could\u2062 escalate tensions further, particularly in light\u2064 of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sunny-hostin-anyone-who-votes-republican-is-complicit-in-school-shootings\/\" title=\"Sunny Hostin: Voting Republican means supporting school shootings.\">ongoing \u200bviolence<\/a> and recent \u200battacks on \u200dIsraelis. \u2064The stakes\u2063 are high, with both parties\u2064 under pressure to\u2062 reach a resolution that could bring about a lasting period of peace and address the extensive human suffering caused by the \u200dconflict.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Blinken: Now is the time to secure Israel-Hamas ceasefire<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1732437\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>U.S. Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antony-blinken\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Antony Blinken\">Antony Blinken<\/a> said Monday the time is now to conclude a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gaza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Gaza\">Gaza<\/a> ceasefire agreement that would return hostages held by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hamas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Hamas\">Hamas<\/a> and bring relief to Palestinian suffering after 10 months of devastating fighting in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>Blinken&rsquo;s ninth urgent mission to the Middle East since the conflict began came days after mediators, including the United States, expressed renewed optimism a deal was near. But Hamas has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-lawmaker-threatens-to-force-clerks-to-read-entire-1-9-trillion-covid-relief-bill-aloud\/\" title=\"GOP Lawmaker Threatens To Force Clerks To Read Entire .9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill Aloud\">latest proposal<\/a>, and Israel has said there were areas it was unwilling to compromise.<\/p>\n<p>The trip, days ahead of new talks expected this week in Egypt, comes amid fears the conflict could widen into a deeper regional war following the killings of top militant commanders in Lebanon that Iran blamed on Israel.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire, and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,&rdquo; Blinken said as he opened talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Israel&rsquo;s President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process,&rdquo; he said in a veiled reference to Iran. &ldquo;And so we&rsquo;re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Herzog thanked Blinken for the Biden administration&rsquo;s support for Israel and lamented a spate of recent attacks against Israelis in the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is the way we are living these days,&rdquo; Herzog said. &ldquo;We are surrounded by terrorism from all four corners of the earth, and we are fighting back as a resilient and strong nation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mediators are to meet again this week in Cairo to try to cement a ceasefire. Blinken will travel to Egypt on Tuesday after he wraps up his Israel stop.<\/p>\n<p>He met one-on-one with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for 2 1\/2 hours Monday and was to meet with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant later in the day.<\/p>\n<p>The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants broke into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Of those, some 110 are still believed to be in Gaza, though Israeli authorities say around a third are dead. More than 100 hostages were released in November during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/weeklong-ceasefire-in-sudan-civil-war-begins-but-civilians-are-skeptical\/\" title=\"Sudan civil war ceasefire starts, but civilians doubt it.\">weeklong ceasefire<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Israel&rsquo;s counterattack in Gaza has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and devastated much of the territory.<\/p>\n<p>Late last week, the three countries mediating the proposed ceasefire &mdash; Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. &mdash;reported progress on a deal under which Israel would halt most military operations in Gaza and release a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of hostages.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly before Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting there are areas where Israel can be flexible and unspecified areas where it won&rsquo;t be. &ldquo;We are conducting negotiations and not a scenario in which we just give and give,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The evolving proposal calls for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all hostages abducted during its Oct. 7 attack. In exchange, Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners.<\/p>\n<p>Hamas accuses Israel of adding new demands that it maintain a military presence along the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent arms smuggling and along a line bisecting the territory so it can search Palestinians returning to their homes in the north. Israel said those were not new demands but clarifications of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/psaki-says-there-are-better-ways-to-pay-for-infrastructure-plan-after-republicans-propose-using-repurposed-covid-19-funds\/\" title=\"Psaki Says \u2018There Are Better Ways\u2019 To Pay For Infrastructure Plan After Republicans Propose Using Repurposed COVID-19 Funds\">previous proposal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Officials said the U.S. has presented proposals to bridge all the gaps remaining between the Israeli and Hamas positions. Formal responses to the U.S. outline are expected this week and could lead to a ceasefire declaration unless the talks collapse, as has happened with multiple previous efforts.<br \/>Late Sunday, Hamas said in a statement that Netanyahu has continued to set obstacles to a deal by demanding new conditions, accusing him of wanting to prolong the war. It said the mediators&rsquo; latest offer was a capitulation to Israel.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The new proposal responds to Netanyahu&rsquo;s conditions,&rdquo; Hamas said.<\/p>\n<p>Blinken said Monday both sides should take this opportunity to reach a deal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is time for everyone to get to yes and to not look for any excuses to say no,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>An Israeli delegation held talks with Egyptian officials as part of the truce efforts, an Egyptian official said Monday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The hourslong meeting Sunday focused on the Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border but didn&rsquo;t achieve a breakthrough, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>The official said Israel still insists on keeping control of the border and the east-west route that bisects Gaza. He said the delegation didn&rsquo;t offer anything new in their meeting.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1732437\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1732437\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Monday that it is crucial to finalize a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which would facilitate the return of hostages held by Hamas and alleviate the suffering of Palestinians after ten months of intense conflict. This marks Blinken&#8217;s ninth urgent visit to the Middle East since the outbreak of hostilities, following recent optimism from mediators, including the U.S., about nearing a deal. However, Hamas has voiced significant dissatisfaction with the latest proposal, while Israel has indicated areas where it is unwilling to compromise. <\/p>\n<p>Blinken&#8217;s trip comes just before new discussions anticipated this week in Egypt and amid concerns that the conflict could escalate into a broader regional war after Iran accused Israel of killing key militant leaders in Lebanon. &#8220;This is a decisive moment\u2014perhaps our best or last chance\u2014to secure the release of hostages, achieve a ceasefire, and set everyone on a path toward lasting peace and security,&#8221; he remarked during talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasized that it\u2019s essential for all parties to avoid actions that could disrupt this process, implicitly referencing Iran. Herzog expressed gratitude for U.S. support but noted recent attacks against Israelis have heightened tensions: &#8220;We are surrounded by terrorism from all directions and are responding as a resilient nation.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Mediators will reconvene this week in Cairo to solidify plans for a ceasefire. After concluding his meetings in Israel\u2014including an extensive discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2014Blinken will head to Egypt on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The conflict began on October 7 when Hamas militants infiltrated Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths (mostly civilians) and around 250 abductions; currently about 110 hostages are believed to be held in Gaza despite claims from Israeli authorities that roughly one-third may be deceased. A previous week-long ceasefire led to over 100 hostages being released.<\/p>\n<p>Israel&#8217;s military response has reportedly resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian casualties according to local health officials and widespread destruction across Gaza. Recent reports indicate progress towards an agreement where Israel would suspend most military operations while releasing some Palestinian prisoners as part of negotiations for hostage releases.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu mentioned there are areas where flexibility exists but also unspecified limits regarding concessions: &#8220;We are negotiating\u2014not simply giving away terms.&#8221; The proposed plan involves three phases wherein Hamas would release all captives taken during its initial attack on October 7; conversely, Israel would withdraw troops from Gaza and free Palestinian detainees.<\/p>\n<p>Hamas contends that new demands imposed by Israel\u2014such as maintaining military presence along critical borders\u2014are unacceptable changes rather than clarifications previously discussed. The U.S., meanwhile, aims to reconcile differences between both sides&#8217; positions ahead of expected formal responses this week which could lead toward declaring a ceasefire unless negotiations falter again.<\/p>\n<p>Late Sunday night saw Hamas accusing Netanyahu of creating obstacles through additional conditions aimed at prolonging warfare instead of reaching an agreement; they described recent mediator proposals as capitulations favoring Israeli demands.<\/p>\n<p>Blinken urged both parties not only seize this opportunity but also refrain from making excuses against reaching consensus: \u201cIt\u2019s time for everyone involved to agree.\u201d An Israeli delegation engaged Egyptian officials regarding truce efforts recently without achieving significant breakthroughs concerning control over border routes within Gaza<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2326695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blinken-herzog-081924.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4636,13427,38542],"class_list":["post-2326694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-blinken","tag-ceasefire","tag-israel-hamas"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blinken-herzog-081924.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2326694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2326694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2326694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2326695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2326694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2326694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2326694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}