GAZA – US top diplomat Antony Blinken told reporters during his current visit to Tel Aviv Wednesday that the war in Gaza should end now, adding that Israel needed to do more to allow in aid despite “progress.”
“Since October 7 a year ago, Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza… Now is the time to turn those successes into enduring, strategic success,” Blinken said, as quoted by AFP and Al Arabiya, adding that on aid he saw “progress being made, which is good, but more progress needs to be made and, most critically, it needs to be sustained.”
Of Israel’s pledge to retaliate for Iran’s October 1 missile attack, the US secretary of state said: “It’s also very important that Israel respond in ways that do not create greater escalation.”
After Israel, Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia, which has put on hold talks towards a normalization deal with Israel until a Palestinian state is created.
The US diplomat urged Israel to seize what he described as an “incredible opportunity” to move toward a deal with Saudi Arabia.
Previous US efforts to end the Gaza war and contain the regional fallout have failed, as did a bid spearheaded by US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to secure a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
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