US Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off a tour of the Middle East on Monday, aiming to secure a new truce and lasting resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict amidst ongoing fighting in Gaza. As humanitarian conditions worsen in the strip, UNRWA faces controversy over allegations involving Hamas. Blinken is set to discuss a framework not yet agreed upon by Hamas or Israel, while Israel advances further south, warning of potential ground forces movement towards Rafah to fight Hamas.
As bombardment and battles keep raging across Gaza, Blinken is expected to discuss during his visit a truce framework not yet signed off on by either Hamas or Israel.
Rafah now hosts more than half of the Gaza Strip’s population, displaced due to the fighting.
Over the weekend, Israel pressed further south towards the densely crowded border city, warning that its ground forces could advance on Rafah as part of the campaign to eradicate Hamas.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “a complete victory will deal a fatal blow” to Hamas but also to other Iran-backed militant groups across the region.
Witnesses reported shelling around Khan Younes, where Israel believes high-ranking Hamas officials are hiding.
Hostage Negotiations
According to a Hamas source, the proposed truce would pause fighting for an initial six weeks as Hamas frees hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and more aid entering Gaza.
Netanyahu, who has faced divisions within his cabinet and public fury over the fate of the remaining hostages, said Israel “will not accept” demands made by Hamas for an exchange.
The prime minister’s Likud party quoted him as saying the terms “should be similar to the previous agreement,” which saw a ratio of captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners during a November truce.
Diplomatic Activity
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off a Middle East tour on Monday, seeking a new truce and “an enduring end” to the Israel-Hamas war, as Gaza saw no let-up in fighting.
On his fifth trip to the region since Hamas’ October 7 attack that triggered the war, Blinken met Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler in Riyadh and was later expected to visit Israel, as well as mediators Egypt and Qatar.
Blinken and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed “regional coordination to achieve an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
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French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, on his first visit to the region since taking office, said peace will only be achieved through diplomacy, urging the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks “without delay.”
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‘Tragic’ Conditions
As Gazans have suffered dire humanitarian conditions, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is facing a major controversy after accusations that 12 of its staff members were involved in Hamas’ October 7 attack.
More than a dozen countries, led by the top donor, the United States, suspended their funding to the aid agency after the claims surfaced.
Spain, however, said it would give an additional 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million) “so that UNRWA can maintain its activities in the short term,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares.
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United Nations chief Antonio Guterres announced the creation of an independent panel to assess UNRWA and “whether the agency is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality,” a UN statement said.
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Human Toll
About 1,160 Israelis, mostly civilians, have been reported dead, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
At least 27,478 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli bombardment, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
