Blinken’s visit to Israel did not bring about any progress… Israel insists on entering RafahBlinken’s visit to Israel didn’t bring any progress… Israel insists on entering Rafah
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region ended, as he arrived in Israel following two visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Blinken left Tel Aviv after meetings that lasted 4 hours, which included his attendance at a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet.
It appeared from the summary of the visit that he faced surrounding silence in Israel, especially from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who confirmed after the meeting that Israel was determined to enter Rafah.
This response appears to have been a clear response to the United States’ request for restraint in Rafah.
Blinken warned Netanyahu of the danger in escalation further, indicating that in the absence of a clear plan for the aftermath of the war, Israel may face major problems that it cannot deal with.
He also stressed the need for a coordinated plan for Israel, otherwise it will remain besieged in Gaza, which on the current path could lead to Hamas continuing to rule Gaza or to greater chaos that increases terrorism.
On the other hand, during the meeting, Israel presented a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah, however, secretary Blinken wasn’t convinced by this plan.
According to US officials, the problem isn’t just with Netanyahu only, but rather the entire war cabinet which is united in this regard.
This was demonstrated by the positions of Netanyahu and Gantz, as Netanyahu stressed that there is no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah, while Gantz stressed Israel’s commitment to dismantling Hamas’ military structure, including Rafah.
Secretary Blinken stressed that the talks that took place were frank as they take place between friends, considering that a military operation in Rafah won’t provide security for Israel in the long term, and that the attack on Rafah could isolate Israel from the world.
