United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on his 11th visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began more than a year ago. It is his first trip to the region since Israel escalated its conflict with Hezbollah late last month.
But his trip was off to an inauspicious start as Hezbollah launched medium-range missiles towards Tel Aviv, temporarily shutting down Ben Gurion Airport, where Blinken landed, according to Israeli media.
Also, air raid sirens echoed across Tel Aviv as the top Biden official prepared to end a visit. Smoke, apparently from an intercepted projectile, was seen in the sky above the hotel where Blinken was staying, reported AP.
Hezbollah fired back-to-back rockets on Tel Aviv as Israeli government hosted Blinken in the city. Israel’s air force shot down two rockets from Lebanon that set off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, the military said. Some senior US State Dept officials and travelling press at Blinken’s hotel left the breakfast hall and rushed to the shelter downstairs along with other hotel guests and staff when the sirens went off.
The downing of the rockets came shortly after Israeli forces intercepted two drones launched from the east targeting the Red Sea port city of Eilat, the military said.
During his visit, Antony Blinken again pushed for a halt to fighting between Israel and militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. But heavy Israeli air strikes on a large historic Lebanese port city Tyre showed there was no respite. Huge clouds of thick smoke billowed above residential buildings in Tyre, a UNESCO-listed port city in south Lebanon.
He said Israel needs to pursue an “enduring strategic success” after its recent tactical victories against Hamas, urging it to seek a deal to end the war and bring back dozens of hostages before leaving for Saudi Arabia, as part of his 11th visit to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
This is Blinken’s first trip since Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, its most-wanted enemy, whose death Washington hopes can provide an impetus for peace.
Antony Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to “capitalise” Hamas leader Yahaya Sinwar’s death to work towards a Gaza ceasefire. Blinken also pressed Netanyahu to let the aid enter the Palestinian territory amid concerns over tens of thousands of civilians trapped due to the ongoing war in the hard-to-reach north.
Blinken “underscored the need to capitalise on Israel’s successful action to bring Yahya Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said after the talks.
Blinken also “emphasised the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure that assistance reaches civilians throughout Gaza,” Miller said.
Blinken also reiterated the need for a diplomatic resolution regarding Lebanon and urged compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
Netanyahu has pledged to annihilate Hamas and recover dozens of hostages held by the group. Hamas says it will only release the captives in return for a lasting cease-fire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
(With inputs from agencies)
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