Jerusalem – AFP Top US diplomat Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept a truce in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to send troops into its far southern city of Rafah. Washington has heightened pressure on all sides to reach a ceasefire — a message pushed by Blinken, who […]
Jerusalem – AFP US top diplomat Antony Blinken said Monday he was “hopeful” Hamas would accept the latest proposal for a long-sought Gaza truce and prisoner release deal as negotiators from the Palestinian group were due in Egypt. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate an agreement between Israel and H...
Jerusalem, Undefined – AFP US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the Riyadh talks which are aimed at halting Israel’s war on Gaza. Countries hoping to broker a cease-fire are among those attending a summit in Riyadh, where the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the international community has ...
Washington, United States – AFP The United States appears close to sanctioning an Israeli military unit over alleged human rights violations in the West Bank, a move the Israeli prime minister angrily denounced as “the height of absurdity.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at such steps when asked by a reporter in ...
Washington, United States – AFP US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked China’s foreign minister and other counterparts to use their influence to dissuade Iran from striking Israel, the State Department said Thursday. Blinken spoke by telephone to his Chinese, Turkish, Saudi and European counterparts “to make clear tha...
The Biden administration has endorsed Israel’s use of US-supplied weapons in its war on Gaza, despite concerns about potential violations of international law. This decision contradicts previous court rulings suggesting Israel’s actions could amount to genocide. The endorsement follows assurances from Israeli Defense Minister Yoa...
Arab foreign ministers and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Cairo seeking to broker a cease-fire in Gaza. Attendees included officials from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, and the Palestine Authority. Blinken’s discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi emphasized cease-fire negotiations. Blinken ...
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – AFP The United States has circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate cease-fire linked to the release of hostages” in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The diplomat made his announcement whilst on a tour of the Middle East that will include a stop [...
Vienna, Austria – AFP US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Washington was working “intensively” with its partners “to bridge the remaining gaps” for a deal to free prisoners held by Hamas and secure a cease-fire in Gaza. “Yes, there has been a counter-proposal put forward by Hamas. I obvious...
Washington, United States – AFP Protecting and aiding civilians must be “job number one” for Israel in the war-battered Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. “Where there is a will, there is a way,” Blinken told reporters after a virtual meeting with ministers on a new maritime corridor ...