Israel kills Fatah official in Lebanon – DW – 21.08.2024

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to the Middle East did not result in a concrete ceasefire agreement.

Blinken's visit was his ninth since the deadly Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7 last year that killed 1,200 people on Israeli soil. This prompted Israel's ongoing military operation in the Gaza Strip. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, according to local health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

Blinken met with representatives of co-mediators Egypt and Qatar. He said Israel had accepted a proposal to bridge differences with Hamas, adding that mediators had focused on “getting Hamas on board” and ensuring the two parties agreed on key details to implement a deal.

“Our message is simple: it is clear and urgent,” he told reporters before leaving Qatar. “We must get a ceasefire and a hostage-taking agreement across the finish line, and we must do it now. Time is of the essence.”

Although few details of the proposal are known, Blinken said the timeline and locations are very clear. [Israeli military] Withdrawal from Gaza.”

On Tuesday, Hamas said the proposal was a reversal of what it had agreed to and accused Washington of submitting to Israel's new conditions. The US has yet to respond.

Blinken's visit to the region also coincided with an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City on Tuesday that killed at least 12 people. Israel said the attack targeted Hamas militants who had set up a command center there.

Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, Germany, the European Union and others.

rmt/rm (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)