June 11 :
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday, June 11, to discuss the hostage idea and the distribution of humanitarian aid throughout Gaza. Blinken is currently visiting the Middle East. Anthony J. Blinken, secretary of state, met with Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, in Jerusalem today. The US State Department issued a statement stating that the Secretary of State has "reiterated the United States' and other world leaders' support for President Biden's comprehensive proposal" to end the violence in Gaza immediately, free all hostages, and significantly and sustainably increase humanitarian aid for distribution among Gazans.
Between June 10 and 12, Blinken will visit Qatar, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt . "The Secretary underscored the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security, including through ensuring October 7 can never be repeated," as per the State Department's statement.
But he stressed again that the current idea would open the door to peace along Israel's northern border. "The Secretary apprised the prime minister of the continuing diplomatic endeavours to prepare for the era following the conflict, stressing the critical nature of these endeavours in ensuring lasting tranquilly, safety, and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. The Secretary of State Blinken has stressed the need to stop the dispute from getting worse, the State Department said. Regarding Israel's plan to attain a total and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, Blinken met with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Minister Benny Gantz last week.
The US Secretary of State emphasised once again that the plan would serve Israel's long-term security objectives, which include facilitating the reunion of captives with their families and opening the door to the prospect of peace along Israel's border with Lebanon, which would enable Israelis to go home. Disagreements over specific demands have long delayed direct hostage-release negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
As stated in their statement, the group had demonstrated "flexibility and positivity in dealing with the efforts of the mediators throughout all previous rounds of indirect negotiations." According to Hamas, Israel has been utilising the months-long talks to prolong its attack in Gaza. Hamas launched an assault on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel on October 7, resulting in deaths and the abduction of hostages; this offensive sparked an escalation of the conflict in Gaza.
Israel has now explained its offensive in Gaza as an attempt to destroy Hamas as a whole while limiting civilian deaths to a minimum by focusing on the organization's infrastructure. The US-proposed permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza was just decided upon by the UN Security Council in a resolution voting that took place on Monday (local time).
Israel has already accepted President Joe Biden's ceasefire proposal, which was revealed on May 31 and is already in the US-drafted document. The text urges Hamas to do the same. With fourteen votes in favour, zero against, and one abstention from Russia (which did not use its veto power), the resolution was notably adopted. A three-pronged agreement for a complete ceasefire is the goal of the passed resolution.
