Israeli cease-fire in Gaza rejected by Blinken

Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the United States said that if Israel agrees to stop fighting in Gaza, it would give Hamas the opportunity to come together again and launch more attacks.

But he said that Israel needs to do everything it can to avoid hurting innocent people in the area.

Mr Blinken said these things on Saturday in Jordan after having discussions with Arab leaders, who are requesting the fighting to stop right away.

Israel has been accused of doing bad things during the war.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said at a press conference with Mr. Blinken that they do not believe it was an act of self-defense. The conference also included representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt.

The US still stands by Israel’s ability to protect itself from Hamas.

Mr Safadi said that the conflict is like a very intense war that is causing harm to regular people, destroying their houses, hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches.

“This action cannot be justified for any reason, and it will not make Israel safe or bring peace to the area. ”

People are worried that the war could involve other nearby countries and make the Middle East less stable.

MrBlinken believes that temporary breaks in the fighting, instead of a total stoppage, are necessary to help people in need. He mentioned that although the US and Arab leaders may not agree on certain ways to bring lasting peace to the area, their ultimate objective is the same.

“He said that we all know that it is not only our desire, but also our duty to do everything we can together to find a better way for the future. ”

Israel started attacking Gaza after Hamas murdered over 1,400 individuals in Israel through unexpected assaults on October 7th. Over 200 people were taken by force and most of them are still believed to be held captive.

More than 9,488 people have died in Gaza, as reported by the health ministry controlled by Hamas.

MrBlinken’s visit to Jordan happened the day after he went to Israel to talk with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. Netanyahu said there would be no temporary break for help until all the Israeli people who were taken captive are freed.

The Israeli military has been attacking an area in the northern part of Gaza, after telling people many times to leave for their safety.

Around 400,000 regular people are still in the area, as said by David Satterfield, an important person from the US who cares about helping people in the Middle East.

The Israeli military has been attacking areas in the southern Gaza Strip, and the United Nations has stated that there is no safe place in Gaza.

MrBlinken mentioned that it’s important to greatly increase the amount of assistance that is being sent to the enclave through the Rafah crossing in Egypt.

Currently, only a small number of deliveries are going to Gaza after Israel blocked supplies of power, food, and water several weeks ago.

The US Secretary of State also met with Lebanon’s temporary Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, to talk about the fighting happening near Lebanon’s border with Israel. There has been a lot of fighting between a group called Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, has not yet demanded more attacks on Israel but has indicated that there may be room for future actions.

MrBlinken is going to Turkey on Sunday for two days to talk with President Erdogan about the conflict.

The visit is happening because Ankara has brought back its ambassador from Israel and stopped talking to Mr. Netanyahu to show they are angry about the violence.