TEL AVIV: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel on Tuesday to renew diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, just days after Israeli forces killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.
Blinken’s regional tour comes exactly two weeks before the US presidential elections. He will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will then head on Wednesday to Jordan before further stops, US officials said.
President Joe Biden has expressed hope for a new opportunity to end the war in Gaza after Israel last week killed Yahya Sinwar.
But US officials downplayed chances for a ceasefire breakthrough to be announced during Blinken’s trip, in part because Hamas has yet to appoint a new leader.
Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza said on Tuesday that at least 42,718 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign since October 7, 2023.
The death toll includes 115 deaths in the previous 48 hours, according to the health ministry, which said 100,282 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched the bombardment campaign on October 7.
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The broader regional context remains tense as Iran’s neighbours, including key Gulf states, have pledged not to allow their territory to be used for any attacks against the Islamic Republic.
This statement, made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a press conference in Kuwait on Tuesday, follows Iran’s missile strike on Israel earlier this month.
“All our neighbours have assured us that they won’t allow their soil or airspace to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Araghchi said. He also reiterated Tehran’s warning that any attack on its nuclear facilities would be met with swift retaliation.
Before Kuwait, Araghchi was in Bahrain on Monday as part of a regional tour. “We are monitoring closely the movements of American bases in the region and are aware of all their movements and flights,” Araghchi said, adding: “If Israel attacks Iran in any form, Iran will respond in the same format.”
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry on Tuesday said 13 people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli strike near a south Beirut hospital the previous night.
The strike near Rafik Hariri Hospital, the largest public health facility in Lebanon, also injured 57 people, the ministry said. The hospital, located in the densely populated Jnah neighbourhood, sustained damage, while four surrounding buildings were flattened, witnesses said.
Rescue teams continued searching for survivors amid the rubble. The search efforts are expected to continue as the situation remains critical.
The Israeli airstrike on Monday night came amid a wave of heavy bombardments on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following earlier evacuation warnings issued by Israel.
The Ouzai neighbourhood, located just minutes from Jnah, was also targeted for the first time during the ongoing Israeli military operation, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
However, no warning was given for the area around Rafik Hariri Hospital, which has become a haven for civilians displaced by the escalating Israeli violence further south.
