CAIRO, June 13 (Xinhua) — Violence raged in Gaza on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a disappointing Middle East tour to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas with little outcomes.
Blinken’s visit followed U.S. President Joe Biden’s new ceasefire proposal presented on May 31. However, more hurdles emerged for the proposal after the U.S. top diplomat failed to bridge the differences between the warring sides during his eighth trip to the region since the outbreak of the conflict.
PRESSURE ON HAMAS FAILS
Before leaving Egypt on Monday, Blinken asserted that Israel had accepted the ceasefire proposal, supported by regional countries, even though Israel has not publicly confirmed this. Blinken emphasized that the immediate priority was to pressure Hamas to accept the proposal, calling Hamas “the only obstacle” to a ceasefire.
On Tuesday, Hamas responded through mediators in Qatar and Egypt, proposing modifications. This angered Israel, which claimed Hamas’s response was a rejection. In Doha on Wednesday, Blinken acknowledged some of Hamas’s amendments as feasible but labeled others “unworkable.”
Hamas later denied suggesting new ideas, stating, “all we did was to reaffirm our commitment to what was presented on May 5 by the mediators, and we did not discuss any new ideas or proposals.”
“Blinken’s visit evaded real issues and aimed to pressure Palestinians. It is merely a reaffirmation of U.S. support for Israel, continuing its role as a disruptor,” Palestinian political analyst Hussam Al-Dajani told Xinhua.
LACK OF JUSTICE
Analysts argue that Washington’s lack of neutrality undermines its role as an effective mediator in the conflict. As the U.S. ceasefire proposal faces fallout, Blinken is quick to blame Hamas.
In Qatar, the final stop of his visit, the U.S. top diplomat continued his criticism of Hamas during a joint press conference with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani.
“I think it will be clear to everyone around the world, that it’s on them and that they will have made a choice to continue a war that they started,” said Blinken.
Al-Thani diverged from Blinken’s stance, suggesting that pressures should be applied to both sides. He cited Israeli actions over the past month, including the Rafah offensive and inconsistent statements from Israeli officials, as hindrances to ceasefire efforts.
Mokhtar Ghobashy, secretary general of the Al-Farabi Center for Political Studies in Egypt, contends that forcing Hamas into an agreement with Israel, whose government seeks to eliminate the Palestinian faction under U.S. protection, is unfair.
“The problem with the U.S. initiative is that it does not clearly commit to a ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, or a precise timeline for Gaza’s reconstruction,” Ghobashy said.
Analysts also highlight that Biden, Blinken, and other U.S. officials praised Israel’s rescue of four hostages on June 8, which resulted in the deaths of over 200 Palestinian civilians, which complicated ceasefire efforts as it emboldened Israel and solidified the biased stance Washington is taking.
“What exacerbates the situation is the U.S. bias towards Israel, disregarding Palestinian casualties to support its ally. The Palestinians cannot rely on the United States to act as an impartial mediator in these negotiations,” Palestinian analyst Al-Dajani said.
CONFLICT RAGES ON
As Blinken visited the region, the conflict continued to escalate. On Tuesday, an Israeli strike killed a top Hezbollah commander, described by a Lebanese military source as the armed group’s “most important” fighter killed since the Gaza conflicts began.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and missiles into northern Israel on Wednesday, causing fires but no casualties, according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for over 10 other attacks on the Israeli military, including one involving drones.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict that broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The conflict has led to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other supplies in Gaza, with UN agencies warning that over 1 million people could face starvation by mid-July.
On Monday, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2735, calling for an “immediate, comprehensive, and thorough” ceasefire in Gaza to end the eight-month conflict. However, the implementation of this resolution remains uncertain.
Palestinian political analyst Talal Okal noted that Israel did not immediately support Biden’s ceasefire proposal nor respond to the Security Council resolution, suggesting that even the U.S.-submitted resolution might not be enforced.
Eyal Zisser, vice-rector of Tel Aviv University and professor of Middle Eastern and African History, stated that Israel’s goal is to dismantle Hamas’s military and governance capabilities, so the conflict is unlikely to end until this goal is achieved.