Antony Blinken arrived in Israel and pledged aid to Gaza that did not benefit the terrorist group Hamas

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Tuesday pledged to “garner international support” to help Gaza after the conflicts of the past few weeks, by embarking on a regional tour to reinforce last week’s ceasefire.

Blinken, speaking after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the United States would work to address the “grave humanitarian situation” in the coastal territory., but that it would also ensure that Hamas militants do not benefit from reconstruction aid.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to restore hope, respect and some confidence between the two parties. We have already seen where the other options lead and this should prompt us to redouble our efforts to preserve the peace, ”said the US foreign minister.

For his part, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned at the press conference that Israel’s response would be “very powerful” if Hamas violates current truce.

In addition to this meeting, Blinken plans to meet the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abas, before continuing his tour in Egypt and Jordan, two regional players neighboring Israel.

The purpose of the visit is “to support their efforts to consolidate the ceasefire”.Blinken tweeted on Monday, while US President Joe Biden said the Secretary of State will speak about “the unwavering (US) support for Israel’s security” and continue “government efforts to rebuild ties with the United States. Palestinians “.

During the ceasefire, the two leaders gave their support to the “two-state solution”, Israeli and Palestinian, supported by the international community and saved by the new American government before the crisis of recent weeks.

But the latest statements from the State Department and the White House make no reference to the “two-state solution.” “Our priority is really, above all, to obtain the ceasefire,” a senior US official told reporters before Blinken embarked on his journey, calling any more ambitious plan “premature”.

Despite intense diplomatic efforts, tensions persist on the ground between Israelis and Palestinians.

Two people injured, including Israeli soldier, in Jerusalem knife attack, not far from the Seij Jarrah district. The author, a 17-year-old Palestinian, according to the official Palestinian agency, was killed by Israeli security forces.

Persistent tensions

It was precisely in Seij Jarrah, in East Jerusalem, the Palestinian sector of the holy city occupied by Israel, that at the end of April provoked the fourth bloody war between Israel and Hamas. Thousands of people demonstrated in support of Palestinian families in this neighborhood threatened with eviction in favor of Israeli settlers.

Tensions between Palestinians and Israeli forces spilled over to the Mosque Plaza, Islam’s third holiest site.

On May 10, the war between Hamas and Israel began which lasted for 11 days and killed 253 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including 66 minors, according to local authorities. In Israel, rocket fire from Gaza killed 12 people, including a child, a teenage girl and a soldier, police said.

Although the guns have fallen silent over the past four days, tensions persist in the West Bank, where the IDF has made numerous arrests. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, 43 people were detained in the occupied West Bank and annexed to East Jerusalem. For their part, the police announced 1,550 arrests during the last two weeks of “violence”.

Egypt, mediator

Traditional mediator between Palestinians and Israelis, Cairo seeks to consolidate the ceasefire, which includes no conditions for the cessation of hostilities and does not establish any plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian delegation in Palestinian enclave to negotiate with Hamas, an organization that the United States and the European Union call “terrorist”. The head of Egyptian diplomacy, Sameh Choukry, was received Monday in Ramallah by Abas.

Israel, which has imposed a strict land and sea blockade on the Palestinian enclave for nearly 15 years, often accuses Hamas of diverting international aid for military purposes and said on Monday it wanted a “mechanism” international to prevent it in the past. sending.

Biden claimed last week that he was working with the UN to send humanitarian aid to rebuild Gaza, but without giving Hamas a “chance to rebuild its weapons system.” On Monday, he spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah al Sisi, about “international efforts to rebuild Gaza and provide emergency humanitarian aid,” the Egyptians said.

On Monday evening, Israel announced the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing from Tuesday to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. Until now, this stage was opened in a timely manner. The sick will also be able to enter and leave Gaza for the first time since May 10, and the fishing zone off the coast of the enclave will be extended to 6 nautical miles.

But in Gaza, the population is shocked by the extent of the damage.

(With information from AFP)

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