Blinken urges Israel to build solution on its military success

 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to use the opportunity created by its success in dismantling much of Hamas’ capacity in Gaza and the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to reach a longer term solution in the conflict.

“Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success. And there are really two things left to do, get the hostages home and bring the war to an end with an understanding of what will follow,” Blinken told reporters as he prepared to leave Israel for Riyadh on the next stage of his Middle East visit. 

It is Blinkens 11th visit since Hamas’s attack last year on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.

Lately Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza and in Lebanon against Iran’s non state ally Hezbollah.

During his middle eastern tour, Blinken will discuss with regional leaders the importance of ending the Gaza war, ways to chart a post-conflict plan for the Gaza, as well as how to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the State Department said in a statement.

“Throughout the region, Secretary Blinken will discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people,” the State Department said in a statement.

“He will continue discussions on post-conflict period planning and emphasize the need to chart a new path forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives,” the communique said.

Blinken will also underscore that additional food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid must be delivered to civilians in Gaza, the State Department said.

U.S. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, and several other Western leaders have said they all would like the year-long Gaza war to end after Israel last week killed Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already said the war will continue, and analysts say he may prefer to wait out the end of Biden’s term, which ends in January, and take his chances with the next president, whether Harris or her Republican rival Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has had close ties.