Blinken to head to Middle East again to revive stalled talks
Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (getty images)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled for his 10th trip to the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Biden administration continues its efforts to revive stalled ceasefire negotiations, according to Bloomberg.
Blinken will travel to Cairo to discuss the Gaza ceasefire talks and broader regional security issues, and to meet with Egyptian officials, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced on Monday.
The statement only mentions a stop in Egypt, indicating that Blinken will not visit Israel during this trip.
The announcement came on the same day that Israeli officials told Amos Hochstein, an adviser to President Joe Biden, that their government is increasingly leaning towards military measures to return residents of northern Israel displaced by clashes with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. This would signal an escalation of the conflict that the Biden team is desperately trying to avoid.
Miller also stated that the US is still working with mediators on a new proposal. On September 5, Blinken indicated that the US, Qatar, and Egypt would soon share their thoughts on resolving the remaining issues in the negotiations.
Although American officials, including Blinken, have stated that the agreement is approximately 90% complete, prolonged ceasefire talks seem to have stalled following the killing of six Hamas-held hostages earlier this month.
Update on the agreement
In mid-August, US officials indicated that efforts to reach an agreement were nearing the final stages.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the proposed deal as perhaps the best and last opportunity for a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of obstructing the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel must maintain indefinite control over the Gaza-Egypt border. Control of the Philadelphi Corridor remains one of the key sticking points in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
