JERUSALEM, Israel – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel Tuesday on his tour of the Middle East. The visit comes as Israel and the U.S. spar over the fate of Gaza after the war.
On Tuesday morning, Blinken met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz, then with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Before arriving in Israel, Blinken talked with reporters and outlined what he says leaders in the region agree on about Gaza’s future after the war – first, that Israel must have peace and security.
“Second, that the West Bank and Gaza should be united under Palestinian-led governance,” Blinken stated. “Third, that the future of the region needs to be one of integration, not division and not conflict. And fourth, for that to happen we need to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
The U.S. and Israel differ on whether or not Gaza should be led by the Palestinian Authority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government do not want the P.A. to lead Gaza.
So, while Israel’s military campaign enters its next phase, the debate over Gaza’s future will intensify.
Yet, what’s next for Lebanon and Israel may determine the way the region goes.
Blinken and others are trying diplomatically to de-escalate the low-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. But Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, says time is running out for diplomacy since nearly 100,000 residents of northern Israel can’t return home.
Tensions rose on Monday following the assassination of Wissam al-Tawil, the highest-ranking Hezbollah official to be killed since October 7th. He is a nephew of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Also on Monday, as sirens sounded, Hamas fired the biggest barrage of rockets from Gaza since the beginning of the year.
Israel’s military campaign continues to uncover Hamas’ terror infrastructure.
The IDF released footage Monday of the largest weapons production site found in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war. It was used to produce long-range missiles capable of reaching northern Israel.
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