Blinken: ceasefire talks maybe last chance to free captives

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pushing for a Gaza ceasefire on his visit to Israel, has described ongoing negotiations as “maybe the last” chance to secure the captives’ release and secure a ceasefire.

Blinken is scaling up US diplomatic pressure to try and reach a deal to end the 10-month conflict after the United States put forward proposals last week in a bid to close the gaps between the warring parties.

Speaking in Tel Aviv on Monday, before meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the top US diplomat said he was also working to de-escalate other regional tensions fuelled by the war in Gaza.

“This is a decisive moment – probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” Blinken said on his ninth trip to the region since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October.

“I’m here as part of an intensive diplomatic effort on President Biden’s instructions to try to get this agreement to the line and ultimately over the line … It is time for everyone to get to yes and to not look for any excuses to say no,” Blinken added.

“It is time for it to get done. It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process,” he went on to say.

The US and other Western leaders have called on Iran and its allies to refrain from anticipated attacks on Israel in retaliation for the recent killings of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Worldwide concern that Israel’s war will escalate into an all-out regional conflict multiplied after the assassinations last month of Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Fuad Shukr, a top commander of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, in Beirut.

“We’re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way could move us away from getting this deal over the line, or, for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places, and to greater intensity,” Blinken said.

The diplomat is later scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role, said Israelis wanted to see the return as soon as possible of captives held in Gaza since Hamas snatched them during its October 7 attack. Israel’s war began after Hamas’s surprise attack.

“There is no greater humanitarian objective, and there’s no greater humanitarian cause, than bringing back our hostages,” Herzog told Blinken.

The US, Egypt and Qatar have been acting as mediators in a number of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

The last round of talks ended on Friday in Qatar, with no resolution. It is expected to resume again in Cairo, Egypt this week.

Hamas has been insisting that the ceasefire end the war permanently while Israel has said any deal should not limit it from continuing the war despite repeated US statements for the deal to end the conflict.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel’s deadly attacks continue, with the death toll from Israel’s bombardment now more than 40,000, according to Palestinian health authorities.