US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Friday that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) remains “the only obstacle between the residents of Gaza and the ceasefire” with Israel.
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“We are waiting to see if they can really agree to say yes to a ceasefire and release the hostages,” Blinken said at the Sedona Forum held by the McCain Institute in Arizona. He added: “The truth now is that the only obstacle between the people of Gaza and the ceasefire is Hamas.”
Israel and the mediating countries are still awaiting the response of the Islamic movement to a 40-day truce proposal accompanied by the release of hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A delegation will head to Cairo on Saturday to continue the discussions.
Noting that Hamas fighters “claim to represent” the Palestinian people, Mr. Blinken stressed that “if this is true, then acceptance of the ceasefire must be clear.”
The US Secretary of State also estimated that any Israeli attack on Rafah, a town in the southern Gaza Strip crowded with more than a million Palestinians displaced by the war, would cause damage “beyond acceptable.”
According to Mr. Blinken, Israel has not presented any plan to protect civilians during this potential attack. He added: “In the absence of such a plan, we cannot support a large-scale military operation in Rafah, because the damage it would cause would be beyond what is acceptable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Thursday his intention to launch an attack on Rafah, “whether with or without an agreement” on the truce. He said: “We will do what is necessary to win and defeat our enemy, including in Rafah.”
Mr. Blinken, who visited Saudi Arabia on Monday, said the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, could begin discussions about the potential normalization of relations with Israel.
The US Secretary of State confirmed: “He has made it clear that he wants to do something about normalization and that he wants to do it as quickly as possible,” but only if the conditions are met.
Riyadh wants to establish a process that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, a scenario that was rejected by the Israeli Prime Minister and his far-right allies.
