US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met today (Wednesday) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed with him, privately, negotiations for a deal to release the hostages and a possible operation by IDF forces in Rafah.
During the meeting, Netanyahu told Blinken: "If Hamas does not agree to the new proposal, there will be no deal, and Israel will begin the operation in Rafah. We will not agree to a deal that includes ending the war."
Netanyahu presented the flexibility he gave the negotiating team in the deal and said that Israel "has already come a long way."
He added: "Israel will be willing to wait with Rafah but not cancel it completely."
Netanyahu explained that it is important not to erode the achievements in the Gaza Strip by providing free passage to the north of the Strip, which allows terrorists to pass through.
The Prime Minister's Office later reported that Netanyahu made it clear to Blinken that he "will not accept a deal that includes agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip." In addition, Netanyahu said that Israel sees importance in the Rafah operation: "The Rafah operation is not conditional on anything - Prime Minister Netanyahu made this clear to Secretary Blinken."
A spokesperson for the US State Department said that during the two men's meeting, the secretary discussed improving the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to Israel's security. He also discussed the need to avoid further escalation of the conflict and updated the prime minister on ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable peace in the region.
Blinken, for his part, reiterated the clear position of the United States, which opposes the operation in Rafah without an implementable plan for the protection of the civilian population and the evacuation of civilians. He noted that while there has been an improvement in the delivery of aid to Gaza, Israel needs to do "more."
Blinken also met with opposition leader Yair Lapid - who told him that he supports the reckless deal: "Netanyahu has no political excuse not to go for a deal to return the kidnapped. He has a majority among the people, he has a majority in the Knesset, and if necessary, I will make sure he has a majority in the government. We must bring them home. Every hour is critical."
In a meeting with President Isaac Herzog, the US Secretary of State said: "The only reason a deal won't be reached is because of Hamas." He said, "There is an offer on the table, and as we said, no delays, no excuses, now is the time. The time has long passed to return the kidnapped people home to their families."
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