The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stood alongside President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, emphasizing that Hamas is solely responsible for the failure to reach a hostage deal since November. Blinken, who is on his seventh visit to Israel since the significant Hamas attack on October 7, urged for swift action, stating, “No delays, no excuses. The time is now.”
Israel has conveyed its latest offer to Hamas through Egyptian intermediaries and awaits a response. The proposal reportedly involves the release of at least 33 hostages in the initial phase, with subsequent stages aimed at establishing a sustainable calm and potentially a full withdrawal of IDF troops. The first phase of the deal, lasting 40 days, would entail a gradual IDF withdrawal from parts of the Strip to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery and the return of civilians to their homes.
While Blinken criticized Hamas for impeding progress on the deal, he also acknowledged the suffering of Gazan civilians caught in the conflict, underscoring the need to provide them with essential assistance such as food, medicine, water, and shelter.
President Herzog condemned the potential issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, labeling it as an attempt to undermine the peace process through misuse of international legal mechanisms. He affirmed Israel’s robust legal system and commitment to pursuing legal measures against any wrongdoing by its citizens.
