WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads Thursday to Qatar as he seeks momentum to end the Gaza conflict after Israel’s killing of Hamas’s leader.
Two days following meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken was flying Thursday to the Qatari capital city Doha to hear valuations on where Hamas stands on a ceasefire, according to AFP.
Blinken is paying his 11th visit to the middle east since October 7, 2023, following repeated disappointment as the US top diplomat seeks to end the devastating Israeli brutal campaign in Gaza. However, days ahead of US polls, US President Joe Biden has found new hope following Israel killed Hamas’s supremo Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.
However, critics say the issue was not just Hamas but the Biden’s administration failing to press Israel, which has received a near continuous flow of billions of dollars in American arms.
Hamas has yet to elect a successor to Yahya Sinwar. AFP cited two Hamas sources suggested this week that Hamas was moving toward appointing a Doha-based ruling committee rather than of a single successor.
Blinken stated that a plan laid out by Biden’s administration on May 31 remained on the table but also signaled at a readiness to explore “new frameworks” in order to seek freedom for over 100 captives.
