US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that all sides face “maybe the last opportunity” to forge a ceasefire deal in Gaza and return hostages to Israel.
The top US diplomat was speaking on his ninth mission to the region since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in October. He urged them and also outsiders to avoid provocative actions that could derail peace efforts.
He did not identify any other countries but Iran is mulling retaliation against Israel over the recent killings of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, in a step that could ignite a wider regional war.
“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,” Mr Blinken said at the start of a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.
The US official, who was due later to hold fresh talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, added: “It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process.
“And so we’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.”
The United States, Qatar and Egypt brokered talks in Doha last week, and are expected to resume their efforts in Cairo this week, as international alarm grows both over the Palestinians’ plight in Gaza and Iran’s potential intervention.
But while Washington is keen to talk up prospects for a deal, Israeli government leaders and Hamas have been sounding more gloomy, each accusing the other of blocking progress.
Israeli bombing continues in Gaza. Palestinian officials said that more than 20 people, including women and children, were killed in one strike on Sunday, adding to a death toll of more than 40,000 during the 10-month war.
Some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage when Hamas and other Palestinian fighters staged raids into Israel on October 7. Israel says 111 hostages are still being held, 39 of whom are presumed dead.
