United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday urged for an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, stating, “now is the time,” while also calling on Israel to avoid escalating tensions with Iran.
Israel has been engaged in battles with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and has pledged to respond to Iran’s missile strike on October 1.
In Lebanon, AFP correspondents reported a series of Israeli air strikes on the coastal city of Tyre, after the military warned residents to evacuate parts of the city ahead of operations targeting Hezbollah. The warning triggered a mass evacuation from Tyre, and AFPTV footage captured large plumes of black smoke rising after the strikes.
“The situation is very bad, we’re evacuating people,” said Mortada Mhanna, head of Tyre’s disaster management unit. Bilal Kashmar, the unit’s media officer, added, “You could say that the entire city of Tyre is being evacuated.”
This marked Blinken’s 11th visit to the region since the war in Gaza began, and his first since the violence between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into all-out conflict late last month. Previous U.S. efforts to mediate an end to the war and curb regional tensions have failed.
The Gaza conflict started after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,206 deaths, primarily civilians, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed 42,718 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
“Since October 7 a year ago, Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza… Now is the time to turn those successes into enduring, strategic success,” Blinken said following meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.
On the topic of aid to Gaza, Blinken noted, “progress being made, which is good, but more progress needs to be made and, most critically, it needs to be sustained.”
Regarding Israel’s intention to retaliate for Iran’s October 1 missile strike, Blinken warned, “It’s also very important that Israel respond in ways that do not create greater escalation.”
Blinken’s next stop was Saudi Arabia, which has suspended talks on normalizing relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. He urged Israel to recognize the “incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction,” highlighting the potential for Saudi Arabia to play a key role, including the possibility of normalizing ties with Israel.
Following Saudi Arabia, Blinken is scheduled to visit Qatar and Britain, where he will engage with Arab leaders on the Gaza and Lebanon conflicts.
During his meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken stressed the importance of capitalizing on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza to work toward a ceasefire. Sinwar had orchestrated the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.
The militants also took 251 hostages during the October 7 assault. Ninety-seven remain in captivity, with 34 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli military.
Blinken emphasized the need to leverage Sinwar’s death to “secure the release of all hostages and end the conflict in Gaza in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” according to U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Netanyahu agreed, saying that Sinwar’s death “could have a positive impact on the return of the hostages,” according to a statement from his office.
Meanwhile, Blinken pushed for increased aid to Gaza, especially for the tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the war-torn northern region. The ongoing Israeli air and ground campaign in northern Gaza aims to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping, and the situation has left the remaining medical facility, Kamal Adwan Hospital, without vital supplies.
“People are being killed in the streets, and we can’t help them. Bodies are lying on the streets,” warned the hospital’s director, Hossam Abu Safia.
The World Health Organization has also been forced to delay the final phase of a polio vaccination drive in Gaza due to the intense fighting in the north.
After nearly a year of war with Hamas, Israel shifted its military focus to Lebanon in late September, aiming to secure its northern border against Hezbollah attacks.
Israeli forces have since ramped up air strikes on Hezbollah positions and deployed ground troops. The conflict has claimed at least 1,552 lives since September 23, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israel, firing rockets at an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv. Israeli forces previously killed a top Hezbollah cleric, Hashem Safieddine, in an air strike three weeks ago.
Safieddine had been seen as the likely successor to Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah has not confirmed Safieddine’s death, but sources close to the group say he has been unreachable since the strike.
“We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement, and most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership,” said Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi.
