Blinken travels to Egypt for cease-fire talks as Israel adds new war goal
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the Middle East in his latest attempt to secure a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas with the support of Egypt and Qatar, though no breakthroughs are expected.
The Biden administration’s efforts to secure a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas via shuttle diplomacy continued Tuesday as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to fly to Egypt in another attempt to "establish broader regional security."
The U.S., in coordination with Egypt and Qatar, has been leading indirect negotiations in the pursuit of ending the deadly war in Gaza, which has persisted for nearly a year following the horrific Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas which saw the death of 1,139 people along with the abduction of 251 people from Israel.
However, hopes of finding an end to the war remain unlikely during Blinken’s latest visit, which is the 10th trip he has taken to the Middle East since the October 2023 terrorist attacks.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters Monday amid U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein’s trip to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, that there is "no timeline" for a deal.
"We are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal, [to] try to find something that would bring both the parties to say yes," he added.
A cease-fire deal, which the Biden administration appeared hopeful they were close to achieving last month, appears to have reached an impasse as both Hamas and Israel have made stipulations over access to the Philadelphi Corridor, a non-negotiable issue for both sides.
Blinken’s latest trip is not expected to result in any major breakthroughs and comes just one day after Israel’s security cabinet updated its war aims against not only Hamas, but Hezbollah.
The goals, which already included the elimination of Hamas' military and government bodies in Gaza, the return of all hostages and ensuring a safe environment for Israelis living along the southern border, now also includes the safe return of some 60,000 Israeli citizens to their homes in the north.
Following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, more than 65,000 Israelis were evacuated from their homes along the northern border with Lebanon over concerns that Hezbollah could carry out a similar Hamas-style attack.
Despite the devastating effects Hamas achieved in its gruesome attack last year, security experts have long warned that Hezbollah – which is financially and militarily stronger than Hamas – poses a greater threat to Israeli security.
In a late-night statement Monday, Netanyahu’s office said, "Israel will continue to take active measures" to achieve its new "goal" in returning citizens to their northern homes.
The statement followed comments made by both the prime minister and the defense minister on Monday that said Israel is looking to change its force posture along its northern border.
Neither Netanyahu nor Gallant have detailed what these security changes will entail, but both have looked to make clear to the U.S. that Israel will do what it believes is best for its security.
Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this article.
