Blinken Visits Israel Amid Ceasefire, Continues Negotiations for Aid and Hostages

Written by Jillian Shaw | December 3, 2023

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East this week in hopes of prolonging the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and negotiating for the release of more hostages. Following a week-long trip starting in Brussels to meet with NATO officials, Blinken spent the latter half of this week meeting in Israel, the West Bank, and the United Arab Emirates, marking the third trip he’s made to the region since October 7th.

Blinken visited Israel on Thursday to discuss the protection of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and appeared to acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself but emphasized the protection of civilians following international law. In speaking to the press in Tel Aviv, he stated that “Israel [must] act in accordance with international humanitarian law and the laws of war, even when confronting a terrorist group that respects neither.” He also recognized how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had dropped leaflets over parts of the Gaza Strip to recommend that civilians evacuate the area as a positive example. When looking at the positives of his visit, he discussed how he worked to negotiate plans for what will happen on the other side of this conflict, and how rebuilding Gaza and a Palestinian state will occur.

On the other hand, Blinken shared that they had hoped to prolong the week-long truce, but were unsuccessful, as strikes began immediately following the truce period. Blinken also shared with the press that he believes Hamas to be the blame for the end of the ceasefire, as they fired rockets during the truce and did not release the expected list of hostages. He believes that this is what formally led to the end of the ceasefire when Israel resumed hostilities on Friday.

Additionally, on Friday, Blinken met with multiple Arab foreign affairs officials at the site of the COP28 climate change conference in the UAE. Officials from the conference, including state members from Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and others discussed increasing aid for Gaza and pushing for the release of more hostages. Blinken shared that US and Israeli cooperation with Arab states is crucial for the future rebuilding of Gaza and the Palestinian state following the end of this conflict.