US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel to seize the opportunities presented by the assassination of Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar.
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, the top US diplomat underlined “the need to take advantage of Israel’s successful action to bring Yehya al-Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in to end Gaza in some way.” This provides lasting security for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Blinken’s spokesman said on Tuesday.
“He discussed the importance of charting a new path forward in the post-conflict period that will enable Palestinians to rebuild their lives and provide Gaza with governance, security and reconstruction,” the spokesperson added.
Netanyahu’s office described the meeting as “friendly and productive.”
“The Prime Minister emphasized that the elimination of Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar is likely to have a positive impact on the return of the hostages, the achievement of all the objectives of the war and the day after the war,” he added.
The situation in Lebanon and Iran’s threat to Israel were also discussed.
According to his spokesman, Blinken called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid to the suffering civilian population in the locked-down Gaza Strip. Netanyahu’s office did not address this in its account of the conversation.
The Israeli military authority responsible for Palestinian affairs, COGAT, said that in the past eight days alone, 237 trucks of aid entered the northern Gaza Strip, which is mainly hit by shortages. Aid agencies say this is still not enough.
