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Arab World

Blinken Lands in Israel as it Continues to Pound Gaza

A Palestinian man points at destruction as people inspect the damage following overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip's Jabalia refugee camp on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
A Palestinian man points at destruction as people inspect the damage following overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip's Jabalia refugee camp on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
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Blinken Lands in Israel as it Continues to Pound Gaza

A Palestinian man points at destruction as people inspect the damage following overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip's Jabalia refugee camp on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
A Palestinian man points at destruction as people inspect the damage following overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip's Jabalia refugee camp on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of a wider Middle East tour to display Washington's solidarity with Israel after the attack by Palestinian Hamas militants and to seek to quell the conflict.

The top US diplomat will also try to help secure the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas — some of whom are Americans — and safe passage of Gaza civilians out of the densely-populated enclave ahead of a possible Israeli ground invasion.

Israel has put the enclave, home to 2.3 million people, under total siege and has so far killed around 1,200 people in a bombing campaign that has obliterated entire neighborhoods.

The Israeli military says it is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza but the political leadership has not yet decided on one. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters Thursday that forces “are preparing for a ground maneuver if decided.”

Israel has called up some 360,000 army reservists and has threated an unprecedented response to Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging incursion over the weekend. It has been launching intense airstrikes on Gaza since the attack by Hamas on Saturday, as militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees reported Thursday that nearly 218,600 people are sheltering in 92 UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip.

As airstrikes and shelling by Israeli forces continue across the Gaza Strip, more people are seeking emergency shelter.

In addition, the agency said, many other people are displaced in government schools and other buildings. In total, at least 340,000 Palestinians have been displaced across the Palestinian enclave.

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Arab World

Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Temporary Ceasefire Call Marks Victory for Beirut Efforts

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Temporary Ceasefire Call Marks Victory for Beirut Efforts

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 26, 2024 (AFP)

Lebanese political and diplomatic activity is intensifying after the release of an “international-Arab call” for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
“The key lies in implementation,” Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat, describing the call itself “a victory for Lebanon’s efforts.”
Berri highlighted the role of major players, especially the US, in convincing Israel to accept the ceasefire.
He pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “says one thing and its opposite,” while stressing that Lebanon is committed to the call’s principles and ready to act.
“There is no problem on the Lebanese side, as the international joint statement addressed both Gaza and Lebanon together,” Berri stressed.
A Lebanese source involved in negotiations at the UN indicated that the obstinacy of both Israel and Hezbollah had blocked a proposed solution.

Now, efforts are focused on establishing a temporary ceasefire to allow for negotiations regarding the crisis that erupted when Hezbollah, backed by Iran, engaged with Israel to support Gaza.
The source explained that the proposed solution involved a new UN resolution to reinforce Resolution 1701, effective since the end of the 2006 Lebanon War.
However, Hezbollah’s insistence on linking a ceasefire in Gaza to this proposal and Israel’s refusal to do so thwarted the plan.
The source expressed hope for a three-week temporary ceasefire, with negotiations led by US envoy Amos Hochstein between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
In New York, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati held diplomatic discussions aimed at stopping the Israeli offensive against Lebanon, engaging with European and Arab officials during his visit.
Reports suggested that Mikati had “signed a proposed ceasefire agreement” after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and mediator Amos Hochstein.
However, the Prime Minister’s office denied these claims, asserting that they are “entirely untrue.”
The office reminded the public of Mikati’s remarks after the joint call initiated by the US and France, supported by the European Union and several countries, aimed at establishing a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
“We welcome the statement, but the crucial factor lies in Israel's commitment to implementing international resolutions,” said Mikati.
New York Meetings
Mikati met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who outlined Cyprus’s efforts to support Lebanon and facilitate a ceasefire, including his talks with Netanyahu.
The Lebanese premier also discussed the situation in Lebanon and the region with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, highlighting Britain’s efforts to stop the fighting.
Additionally, Mikati met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, thanking Qatar for its support of Lebanon, particularly for its backing of the Lebanese army.
The Qatari Prime Minister briefed Mikati on ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and Qatar’s role in the international committee working to elect a new president for Lebanon.