Blinken in Middle East to broker Gaza ceasefire, 'may be last opportunity'
US secretary of state Antony Blinken met Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday in an attempt to restart negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. Blinken then travelled to Qatar, which is mediating in the talks along with Egypt and the US.
Blinken and al-Sisi discussed the results of the latest round of negotiations in Cairo. Al-Sisi said a ceasefire in Gaza should be the beginning of a wider recognition of a Palestinian state to ensure stability in the region.
Blinken then travelled to Qatar for a meeting with Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the country's emir. Qatar is one of the mediators in the peace talks, along with Egypt and the US.
Stalled talks
Talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been stalled for months. Hamas demands a complete Israeli withdrawal from the corridor between Gaza and Israel. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the Israeli army to continue to control that corridor after a ceasefire, in order to prevent weapons smuggling.
Netanyahu has accepted the latest version of the ceasefire deal, but Hamas denounced it on Tuesday, citing new Israeli demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages. Hamas says the new demands are a reversal of what the parties agreed to in July.
"This is a pivotal moment … maybe the last opportunity to bring the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everybody on a better path to lasting peace and security"
It may be the last chance for a deal for some time, according to Blinken. "This is a pivotal moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to bring the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everybody on a better path to lasting peace and security," he said before a meeting with Israeli president Isaac Herzog on Monday.
A possible ceasefire agreement is important to ease tensions in the region. Israel assassinated two leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah in July, and both organisations have vowed to retaliate.
© PHOTO EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY / AFP
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