Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting on Wednesday that he would not agree to a permanent ceasefire and end to Israeli operations in Gaza in exchange for a deal that would free Israeli hostages.
“He told Blinken that we are interested in reaching a deal and determined to topple Hamas,” an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.
For months, Hamas has said it would free all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent truce, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. But Netanyahu has maintained that any ceasefire would only be temporary.
Netanyahu also told Blinken that Israel will invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is packed with over 1 million civilians. “The Rafah operation does not depend on anything,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. “Prime Minister Netanyahu made this clear to Secretary Blinken.”
A day earlier, Netanyahu said Rafah would be invaded “with or without” a hostage deal. The US claims it’s opposed to Israel invading Rafah under the current circumstances since it would incur huge civilian casualties, but the Biden administration isn’t putting any real pressure on Netanyahu.
During his visit to Israel, Blinken said Hamas was solely to blame for the lack of a ceasefire and hostage deal. “There is a very strong proposal on the table right now. Hamas needs to say yes, and needs to get this done,” he said.
Hamas hit back, saying Israeli officials have said Netanyahu was sabotaging negotiations, which has been previously reported in Israeli media.
“Blinken’s comments contradict reality. It is not strange for Blinken, who is known as the foreign minister of Israel, not America, to make such a statement,” a Hamas official told Reuters. “Even the Israeli negotiating team admitted Netanyahu was the one who was hindering reaching an agreement.”
Netanyahu doesn’t want a ceasefire, he wants the war and genocide to go on uninterrupted so does Trump. Blinken and Biden only want temporary ceasefires and the war and genocide to go on afterwards.
Well Netanyahoo just got $27 Billion in additional aid from Biden and the democrats in congress to continue the genocide, so why stop now?
With plenty of help from the republicans.
“During his visit to Israel, Blinken said Hamas was solely to blame for the lack of a ceasefire and hostage deal.” Does that make any sense? Even to the most deranged? Any Israeli believe that?
Blinken idiot.
Are we still wasting everyone’s time with the quaint notion that any kind of negotiations are possible with the crazies in Tel Aviv – or Washington? (Or Ukraine – or NATO?) The Russians need to bury Ukraine and Hezbollah and Iran need to bury Israel.
Aye Aye Sir let us all hope in happens quickly and Israel does not go Nuclear.
Of course Israel will go nuclear. What else could the Old Testament possibly stand for, if not Biblical annihilation?
How much money have we given this year, to Israel, or perhaps in total, through the many years?…. I think it is time to ask for a refund and even more so, an end to such nonsense.
Donna vs. the AIPAC Goliath. Good luck getting that refund.
At least they could treat us with a little respect, not that we deserve a whole lot.
I believe we’ve finally got it. If you’re able to type Control+F “Neo-Zionist” from #2 on will dovetail with what Anti-War readers have said for years. Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to substantiate very much in the comments thread for lack of space. Enjoy:
https://roninhardjan.substack.com/p/americas-shadow-government-behind
How much clearer does a National leader have to0 be? In this case he has not lied. There will be no peace in the MidEast as long as Netanyahu and his pals are in control of Israel. How long that will take is up to the decent people in Israel? I am not sure that there are enough to stem the tide against autocracy and Fascism.
It’s not Netanyahu, it’s Zionism.
Netanyahu is Zionism, is he not?
Yes. But there is this little game making it about individuals and personalities, when it is not.
Good Article of the game plan from Jonathon Cooke who has covered Israel and the ME for a long time:
Israel-US Gaza Plan Stares Us in the Face
May 1, 2024
The media is pretending the West’s efforts to secure a ceasefire are serious. But a different script has clearly been written in advance.
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/05/01/israel-us-gaza-plan-stares-us-in-the-face/
Good post.
“Blinken’s comments contradict reality. It is not strange for Blinken, who is known as the foreign minister of Israel, not America, to make such a statement,” a Hamas official told Reuters.
Even Hamas knows that truth.
The US readout said that Blinken “emphasized that it is Hamas that is standing in the way of a ceasefire.”
In his meeting with President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem earlier in the day, Blinken expressed similar sentiments, placing the blame squarely on Hamas for the failure to reach a hostage deal since November.
The Gaza terror organization is “the only reason that that wouldn’t be achieved,” said the top US diplomat, who is in Israel for the seventh time since the massive Hamas attack on October 7.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-israel-blinken-blames-hamas-for-hostage-deal-holdup-gaza-humanitarian-crisis/
Our top “diplomat” can’t figure out why one side won’t agree to a deal that would only temporarily put off their destruction. Negotiations, US style.
So the SOS is an idiot.
With major improvements, possibly. As is, he can only dream of being an idiot.
Netanyahu Tells Blinken
Doesn’t that say it all?
At the end the crime minister would end up counting the number of dead Israeli hostages and Hamas members would relocate to central and northern Gaza…!
Will Democrats OR Republicans ever chant lock this real war criminals up? Nah, they’re too busy sending him more bombs to kill Palestinians.
We have our own war criminals to deal with. War criminals are individuals who promote warfare as policy. Isn’t that what Biden’s administration is selling?
It’s fairly obvious that Netanyahu has written off the Israeli hostages in Gaza. They are clearly not the priority.
They never were.
So is bibi really the antichrist?
Quack Quack Quack
You totally rock, for having the balls to say that sh-t!
The Likud would do well to accept the generous Arab offer of peace in the pre-1967 borders. Because the longer this hot war lasts, the more likely the Likud gets a worse offer.
242 is better than 181 and much much better than the Algerian solution.
The most realistic and the fairest solution would be for Israel to accept Hamas’ longstanding offer of a ten year hudna (ceasefire). Hamas has offered the ten year truce on the condition of complete withdrawal of the West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements, lifting the blockade of Gaza and complete Palestinian sovereignty over Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem with neither side recognizing the other. The right of return of Palestinian refugees would be deferred until ‘future generations.” During the truce the two sides would continue negotiations and decide whether to extend the hudna, end the ceasefire or agree to a permanent peace. Hamas wisely realizes that a final solution can’t be achieved until both sides c00l off and stop killing each other. A final comprehensive peace in Palestine will be a process, not an event. That will take time, maybe generations. The hudna is the best way to begin.
Here is a description of Hamas’ hudna proposal:
https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/cf1699b6-9e6e-4cff-9c68-467c58d0968f/The%20Hudna%20-%20PRIO%20Policy%20Brief%2009-2010.pdf?inline=true
Here is a description of how Israel and the Palestinian Authority have repeatedly rejected Hamas’ offer of a truce.
https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/cf1699b6-9e6e-4cff-9c68-467c58d0968f/The%20Hudna%20-%20PRIO%20Policy%20Brief%2009-2010.pdf?inline=true
I’m rooting for you, Joe – to lose. My wish is for a permanent termination of your fetid career that will ring down through the ages and inspire an entire army of satirists and analytical humorists.
You have inspired me in one way, though Joe – never to vote for any democrat for as long as I’m able to vote.
Is there anyway we can get a full refund from Israel, who basically just told us to go eff ourselves?…
🙂
Total monies spent by US on ISRAHELL:
300 flipping Billion Bucks!
Put that in your effing pipe and smoke it Uncle Sam!