Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt before traveling to Israel. Pool photo by Amr Nabil
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met today with the Israeli prime minister in Jerusalem, just hours after he sat down in Cairo with Egypt’s president, a key mediator in the talks between Israel and Hamas. Blinken said his message to governments in the Middle East was that if they wanted a cease-fire, they should press Hamas to “say yes” to Israel’s latest proposal. He also similarly pressed Israel on the deal, which it has yet to formally embrace.
Peace prospects may have become more complicated over the weekend. Benny Gantz, a centrist Israeli leader, pulled his party out of the country’s wartime government. Israel’s military also carried out a raid on Saturday in which four hostages were rescued and dozens of people were killed, including women and children.
In related news, the U.N. Security Council voted to approve a U.S.-led resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire and the release of hostages.
