Blinken Urges Hamas to Accept Israel’s Cease-Fire Proposal

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Arab officials connected Monday successful Saudi Arabia astir the warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas and the hard issues it has created, from humanitarian assistance to hostages. Mr. Blinken plans to question to Jordan and Israel connected Tuesday.

After landing successful Riyadh, the Saudi capital, soon aft dawn, Mr. Blinken met with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the overseas curate of Saudi Arabia, and past with overseas ministers and a apical overseas argumentation advisor from 5 different Arab nations successful the Persian Gulf that, on with Saudi Arabia, signifier the Gulf Cooperation Council. Prince Faisal was besides portion of that 2nd meeting.

The State Department listed the cease-fire and hostage issues archetypal successful the summary it released of Mr. Blinken’s one-on-one gathering with the prince. The 2 “discussed ongoing efforts to scope an contiguous cease-fire successful Gaza that would unafraid the merchandise of hostages held by Hamas,” the section said.

The 2 diplomats besides talked astir greater determination integration and “a pathway to a Palestinian authorities with information guarantees for Israel,” the summary said. That was a notation to negotiations implicit a wide woody that would impact the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestinian representatives agreeing to presumption that would effect successful the instauration of a Palestinian authorities and greater diplomatic designation for Israel successful the region.

Mr. Blinken planned to conscionable with Arab and European officials successful a radical aboriginal connected Monday to speech astir plans for rebuilding Gaza, adjacent though Israel is inactive carrying retired its warfare determination and has not stepped backmost from its hard — and possibly intolerable — extremity of afloat eradicating Hamas.

Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day gathering of the World Economic Forum, and apical Arab officials, including Mr. Blinken’s diplomatic counterparts, are attending the lawsuit successful Riyadh. The gathering includes elder ministers from Qatar and Egypt, the 2 Arab mediators successful aggregate rounds of talks implicit a imaginable cease-fire betwixt Israel and Hamas.