US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Tuesday met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to "capitalise" Hamas leader Yahaya Sinwar's death to work towards a Gaza ceasefire .
Blinken also pressed Netanyahu to let the aid enter the Palestinian territory amid concerns over tens of thousands of civilians trapped due to the ongoing war in the hard-to-reach north.
According to the US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "Blinken underscored the need to capitalise on Israel 's successful action to bring Yahya Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike."
Blinken also "emphasised the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure that assistance reaches civilians throughout Gaza," Miller said.
In their discussions, Netanyahu acknowledged the "seriousness" of US warnings about the necessity of increased aid to Palestinians and any intentions to starve Gaza, a US official said. Both Blinken and defense secretary Lloyd Austin had previously cautioned Israel that military aid could be impacted unless more relief was permitted in the northern Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has described a dire humanitarian crisis.
Despite US concerns, Netanyahu and his strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, refuted claims that Israel was executing a plan to starve northern Gaza, which reportedly involved evacuating civilians before enforcing an intensified siege on the area. Blinken conveyed that there was a perception Israel was isolating the north, urging them to publicly clarify their intentions.
Blinken also reiterated the need for a diplomatic resolution regarding Lebanon and urged compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
This marked Blinken's 11th visit to the region since Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7 last year which prompted a significant Israeli military response in Gaza.
Blinken also pressed Netanyahu to let the aid enter the Palestinian territory amid concerns over tens of thousands of civilians trapped due to the ongoing war in the hard-to-reach north.
According to the US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "Blinken underscored the need to capitalise on Israel 's successful action to bring Yahya Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike."
Blinken also "emphasised the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure that assistance reaches civilians throughout Gaza," Miller said.
In their discussions, Netanyahu acknowledged the "seriousness" of US warnings about the necessity of increased aid to Palestinians and any intentions to starve Gaza, a US official said. Both Blinken and defense secretary Lloyd Austin had previously cautioned Israel that military aid could be impacted unless more relief was permitted in the northern Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has described a dire humanitarian crisis.
Despite US concerns, Netanyahu and his strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, refuted claims that Israel was executing a plan to starve northern Gaza, which reportedly involved evacuating civilians before enforcing an intensified siege on the area. Blinken conveyed that there was a perception Israel was isolating the north, urging them to publicly clarify their intentions.
Blinken also reiterated the need for a diplomatic resolution regarding Lebanon and urged compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
This marked Blinken's 11th visit to the region since Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7 last year which prompted a significant Israeli military response in Gaza.
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