Blinken claims Israel approves withdrawing troops from Gaza
Date
8/22/2024 7:49:20 AM
(MENAFN) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday that Israel has agreed to withdraw its troops from specific areas in Gaza as part of ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire with the Palestinian group Hamas. The announcement came after recent negotiations in Qatar involving the US, Egypt, and Qatar as mediators.
In a press conference in Doha, Blinken addressed earlier reports suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had persuaded the US to allow Israel to maintain its military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, which lies between Egypt and Gaza. Although Blinken did not provide detailed information about the negotiations, he clarified that the United States does not support any prolonged Israeli occupation of Gaza.
Blinken emphasized that the current agreement under discussion includes specific terms regarding the timeline and locations for the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza. He described this latest proposal as "probably the best, possibly the last opportunity" to achieve a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, which has lasted for ten months. The Secretary of State assured that the US will exert maximum effort to finalize the agreement.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Netanyahu had informed the families of Israeli soldiers killed in the conflict that Israel would not relinquish control of the Philadelphi Corridor or the Netzarim Corridor, which divides Gaza into northern and southern regions. Netanyahu argued that maintaining control over these areas is crucial to preventing the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.
Blinken's comments underscore the complex and high-stakes nature of the ceasefire negotiations, as international and regional actors work to bring an end to the prolonged conflict.
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