Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Strikes as U.S. Secretary of State Initiates Ceasefire Effort.
Antony Blinken, U.S. secretary of state has arrived in Israel with concern about ceasefire talks to stop the war in Gaza and Lebanon, simply, to stop killing people.
Blinken’s arrival on Tuesday marks his 11th visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began more than a year ago. However, it is his first since Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah escalated late last month, and expectations for his attempt to rein in the hostilities appear low.
The visit went to an inauspicious start as Hezbollah launched medium-range missiles toward Tel Aviv, temporarily shutting down Ben Gurion Airport, where Blinken landed.
The U.S. official came here to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to talk about restarting the conversation about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as well as Hezbollah. Washington remains cautious about its ally’s potential plans for military retaliation in response to Iran’s missile attack on October 1.
However, the problem is that U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war in Gaza and other regions have failed until now, and it is escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. However, fear persists more that this war get into other regions too if they do not stop it here.
Blinken’s progress of diplomatic support is very low, according to a report from Jordan,
Change of Strategy
The conflict between Israel and the Iran-linked armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon has escalated in recent weeks following a year of cross-border fire exchanges.
Early on Tuesday, Hezbollah announced it had fired volleys of rockets at two Israeli military bases near Tel Aviv, as well as a naval base in Haifa.
In response, Israel declared a state of emergency in the Tel Aviv area, and the country’s emergency services reported that a man was injured by falling debris in the northern town of Ma’agan Michael.
“This marks the first instance of medium-range missiles being employed by Hezbollah,” stated Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Hasbaiyya in southern Lebanon.
The backdrop of violence surrounding Blinken’s visit highlights the slim chances that his trip will lead to a significant breakthrough.
The rhetoric from Prime Minister Netanyahu, along with many members of his government and the Israeli opposition, conveys a tone of defiance, making this an uphill battle at this stage, Jamjoom noted.
That said, former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin expressed hope that the trip will at least “contribute to the possibility of a ceasefire.
“It is truly time to put an end to this war. We are all paying a very high price and suffering,” he told Al Jazeera.
Following his visit to Israel, Blinken is scheduled to travel to Jordan on Wednesday to discuss humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, according to an official traveling with him.
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