The head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, begins a new tour of the Middle East on Monday in search of a truce in the war between Israel and Hamas, which are maintaining intense fighting in the south of the Gaza Strip.
(You can read: Houthi spokesperson confirms US and UK bombings: 'They will not go unpunished')
On his fifth tour in the region since the start of the war on October 7, Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and Qatar.
Before traveling, the diplomat noted the need to “urgently address the humanitarian needs of Gaza,” where aid groups have warned about the devastating impact of the four months of war on the besieged territory.
“The situation is indescribable”said Said Hamuda, a Palestinian who fled his home for the city of Rafah, in the far south of the territory, on the border with Egypt.
(Also: US and UK attack dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen)
Rafah, a “pressure cooker of desperation” according to the UN, is currently home to more than half of the Palestinian enclave's 2.4 million inhabitants, who have been forced to move by Israeli attacks.
The Ministry of Health of Gaza, under the control of the Islamist group, stated that At least 128 people died in the last 24 hours in Israeli attacks against the territory.
Destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas government reported “air and artillery attacks” around three hospitals in Khan Younis, the main city in the south of the Strip, surrounded by Israeli forces.
(Keep reading: US bombings in Iraq would have left at least 16 dead, including civilians)
The Israeli army indicated, for its part, that carried out “targeted attacks” in the central and northern areas of the Strip, and had killed “dozens of terrorists who were ambushing” soldiers in Khan Yunis.
Witnesses told AFP that artillery shelling could be heard in Rafah and Khan Yunis on Monday morning.
Whitout deal
Blinken plans to address a truce proposal outlined in January by the authorities of the United States, Israel, Egypt and Qatar, meeting in Paris.
Diplomatic pressure has become more urgent as the spike in attacks by Iranian-backed groups in solidarity with Hamas, which has prompted US counterattacks in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
(Also: UNRWA warns that it will have to stop operations at the end of the month if it does not recover funding)
The proposed truce would impose a pause in fighting for six weeks, allowing Hamas to release hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, according to a source in the Islamist group.
Palestinian movement officials, however, indicated that there is still no agreement and some Israeli authorities have opposed making any concessions.
Urgently addressing Gaza's humanitarian needs and promoting stability in the Middle East are priorities we share with Saudi Arabia.
The war broke out after the unprecedented attacks by Hamas on October 7 against Israel, which left some 1,160 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report based on official figures.
Islamist militants also kidnapped some 250 hostages and, according to Israel, 132 remain in Gaza, including at least 27 who have died.
(You can read: Gaza: 'Al-Shifa hospital staff have difficulties caring for patients')
Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas and launched a military offensive that has killed at least 27,365 people in Gaza, mostly women and minors, according to the territory's Health Ministry.
Gazans face dire humanitarian conditions, with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, stating on the social network X that “access to clean water and sanitation is very limited amid incessant shelling.”
This agency is in the middle of a controversy following accusations that 12 of its employees participated in the October 7 attacks. Many countries, including the United States, suspended their funding following the complaint.
But the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, warned on Sunday that cutting aid to UNRWA threatens the existence of an agency that provides “vital aid to more than 1.1 million people in Gaza facing catastrophic hunger and disease.” “.
(We recommend: 'Israel acts in accordance with international law': Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson)
Before moving to the region, Blinken announced that the humanitarian situation would be one of his focuses.
“Urgently addressing Gaza's humanitarian needs and promoting stability in the Middle East are priorities we share with Saudi Arabia,” Blinken said after speaking with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan.
Tents for Palestinian refugees near a cemetery in Rafah, Gaza.
'Full support'
Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, told the Wall Street Journal that Washington has not shown enough support for his country.
“Instead of giving his full support, (US President Joe) Biden is busy giving humanitarian aid and fuel (to Gaza), which goes to Hamas,” he said in an article published on Sunday.
(Also: Aid cuts to UNRWA leave millions of Palestinian refugees in uncertainty)
Ben Gvir made these statements after US imposes sanctions against four Israeli settlers over increasing violence against Palestinian civilians in occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also under pressure over the hostage situation. Hundreds of people marched this weekend in Tel Aviv to demand early elections.
AFP
#diplomat #Middle #East #seeking #truce #Gaza
