Blinken: Emerging talks ‘maybe the last’ chance to free hostages from Gaza

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that President Biden wants him to get a Gaza cease-fire and hostage deal “to the line and, ultimately, over the line” as talks in the Middle East reach a pivotal stage.

Mr. Blinken commented on an emerging deal ahead of a meeting in Tel Aviv with Israeli President Isaac Herzog about efforts to release the hostages who were taken during Hamas raids on Oct. 7. 

U.S., Qatari and Egyptian negotiators are working with Hamas and Israeli mediators to strike a deal this week in Cairo.

“This is a decisive moment – probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a cease-fire, and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” Mr. Blinken said.

Hamas’ decision to attack southern Israel last fall sparked an aggressive military reprisal by Israel on Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Tensions have spiraled, including between Israel and Lebanese militants, triggering fears Tehran will take a bigger role in the violence.

Recent assassinations of leaders of Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group, and Hamas, a Palestinian group, have raised tensions.

Mr. Herzog pointed to an overnight bombing in Tel Aviv, a possible terror attack, and drone attacks on Israeli soldiers near the border with Lebanon.

Mr. Blinken agreed that it is a “fraught moment” for Israel, raising the urgency around a hostage deal. 

Roughly 100 hostages were freed last year, but more than 100 remain, enduring months of captivity. It is unclear how many hostages remain alive.

“It is time for it to get done,” Mr. Blinken said. “It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process, and so we’re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way could move us away from getting this deal over the line or, for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.”

Following the leaders’ meeting, the State Department said Mr. Blinken reiterated America’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security and efforts to calm the tension in the region.

“The secretary reiterated the urgent need to finalize the ceasefire agreement that would release the hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader regional stability,” principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said.

Mr. Blinken’s diplomatic efforts coincide with the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where pro-Palestinian protesters are accusing the Biden administration of “funding a genocide” in Gaza.