Bensalman: The need for a ceasefire in Gaza is essential / Blinken: An agreement is possible

Mohammed bin Salman and Blinken discussed on Wednesday about “developments in and around the Gaza Strip, in addition to efforts to stop military operations.”

According to the Vas news agency, they also discussed the security and humanitarian situation in the region.

Anthony Blinken, who is on a trip to the region, also said that negotiations to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war, which is linked to the release of Zionist prisoners from Hamas, are “closer” to an agreement.

According to the text released by the US State Department, Blinken said in an interview in Jeddah: “I think the gaps are narrowing and I think an agreement is very possible.”

The US foreign minister claimed in a conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Hadath news channel: “We worked very hard with Qatar, Egypt and Israel to put a strong proposal on the table.” We did it; Hamas does not accept it. They came back with other requests and demands. Negotiators are currently working on it.”

Blinken’s statements come in the context that more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the Zionist army’s attacks on Gaza, most of the population of this area has been displaced, and most of its buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

Blinken, meanwhile, did not provide details on what gaps are being narrowed or what gave him encouragement and confidence that a deal could be reached, CNN reported. He emphasized once again that the responsibility of accepting the proposal that is on the table rests with Hamas.

He said: “We have to see if Hamas can say yes to this proposal or not.” If he does, that is the most immediate way to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza, and that is exactly what we want.”

While Blinken throws the ball in Hamas’s court, the United States has remained the biggest financial and weapons supporter of this regime since the beginning of the ground and air attacks of the Zionist regime on the Gaza Strip and has vetoed the Gaza ceasefire resolution three times in the UN Security Council. has done.

Blinken, who is traveling to Egypt today (Thursday) to meet with Arab leaders and will leave for the occupied Palestinian territories on Friday, also said: “It is important that after the end of the war, for what is related to the governance in Gaza Let’s be ready.”

According to Blinken, Washington is considering alternative ways to deal with Hamas. He also told Hadath news channel about humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip that the sea corridor is not a substitute for sending land aid to the Gaza Strip.

The US foreign minister also claimed that Washington does not support the extensive ground operations of the Zionist regime in Rafah in relation to the imminent ground attack of the Zionists in Rafah. The American minister also said: “We want the war to end so that we can devote ourselves to the future of the Gaza Strip.”

Regarding the Red Sea, Blinken said that what is happening there is an international problem and not just an American problem, and noted: “The pressure continues on Iran to use its influence on the Yemeni army to stop the attacks in the Red Sea. ”

Blinken’s emphasis on the formation of an independent Palestinian state

On the other hand, Anthony Blinken and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, emphasized the importance of continuing regional partnerships in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and finally resolving the conflict.

According to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, the two discussed “the urgent need to protect all civilians in Gaza” and the immediate increase in aid flows.

The statement said: “Blinken emphasized the commitment of the United States to achieve lasting peace through the creation of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.”

US officials have claimed for months that they are working to lay the groundwork for such a “durable peace,” with the idea that it would facilitate a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal. Blinken has emphasized in his recent trips to the region that if the Tel Aviv cabinet wants to achieve normalization with Saudi Arabia and wants the support of its Arab neighbors for the security and reconstruction of Gaza, it must make “tough” decisions and move towards a two-state solution.

Source: ISNA