Ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken‘s visit to the Middle East, a senior Hamas official has urged the United States to exert pressure on Israel to halt the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
What Happened: A senior Hamas official has called on the United States to pressure Israel to end the ongoing conflict in Gaza. According to Reuters, this appeal comes ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region on Monday.
Blinken is scheduled to visit Egypt and Israel to advance ceasefire efforts and prevent the conflict from spreading into Lebanon. “We call upon the U.S. administration to put pressure on the occupation to stop the war on Gaza,” said senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri.
This marks Blinken’s eighth visit to the region since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, leading to the deadliest episode in the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Blinken will also travel to Jordan and Qatar this week.
He is set to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo before heading to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, according to the State Department.
Palestinian residents reported that Israeli tanks were advancing deeper into Gaza’s northern areas on Monday, targeting Shaboura, a densely populated neighborhood. Israeli forces have seized Gaza’s border strip with Egypt and invaded many districts, displacing around one million people.
Blinken’s visit follows U.S. President Joe Biden‘s three-phase ceasefire proposal, which includes ending hostilities, releasing hostages, and reconstructing Gaza. The conflict has resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and more than 37,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the latest updates.
Why It Matters: The conflict between Israel and Hamas has drawn international attention, with significant diplomatic efforts underway to broker peace. On Friday, the United Nations added both Israel and Hamas to a global list of offenders for violations against children in 2023. This underscores the severe humanitarian impact of the conflict.
Last week, tensions escalated when the Israeli Defense Forces launched an airstrike on a Gaza school, resulting in civilian casualties. This incident prompted calls from the NAACP to halt U.S. weapons deliveries to Israel.
Furthermore, in May, Robert O'Brien, a foreign policy advisor to former President Donald Trump, called for sanctions on International Criminal Court officials after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
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