‘Time is of essence’: Blinken’s Middle East visit ends without cease-fire deal
US secretary of state Antony Blinken waves as he leaves Qatar. (Photo by Kevin Mohatt via Reuters)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his ninth visit to the Middle East since the Gaza conflict began, leaving without a significant breakthrough for a cease-fire deal.
On Tuesday, Blinken emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that “time is of the essence,” as both Hamas and Israel continue to signal persistent challenges.
Efforts to bridge gap
After meeting with leaders in Egypt and Qatar – key mediators in the conflict – Blinken noted Israel had accepted a proposal aimed at bridging the remaining gaps with Hamas. The next step, he said, involves ensuring Hamas agrees to the key details and that both sides can move forward with the implementation.
“Our message is simple. It’s clear and it’s urgent,” Blinken told reporters before departing from Qatar. “We need to get a cease-fire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence.”
Challenges in negotiations
Blinken’s comments marked a shift from the optimism previously expressed by Biden administration officials, who had described the cease-fire and hostage negotiations as nearing completion.
Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, noted that the U.S. had little choice but to continue pushing for a negotiated end to the conflict, despite the skepticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, both key figures in the war that began on Oct. 7.
Netanyahu recently met with right-wing groups representing the families of killed Israeli soldiers and Israeli hostages in Gaza, who are opposed to a cease-fire deal.
These groups reported Netanyahu assured them Israel would not abandon two strategic corridors in Gaza, a point of contention in the talks.
A senior U.S. official dismissed reports that Netanyahu had told Blinken Israel would never leave these areas, calling such statements “totally untrue” and unhelpful to reaching a cease-fire agreement.
