Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be making another trip to the Middle East next week to seek support for a cease-fire proposal in the Israel-Hamas conflict. President Biden announced this proposal last week, and Blinken will be visiting Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Qatar to discuss the need for a cease-fire that secures the release of all hostages. This announcement comes after international scrutiny over an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza where Palestinian civilians were sheltering, resulting in the death of at least 35 people. The Israel Defense Forces claim that terrorists were hiding behind the refugees, using civilians as human shields.
Independent weapons experts have stated that Israel appears to have used U.S.-made GBU-39 bombs in the recent airstrike on the school in Gaza. These same bombs were used in a previous airstrike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Gaza, causing the death of at least 45 people. The U.S. had previously paused a weapons shipment over concerns that the munitions might be used in Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah. President Biden has expressed that he does not want to supply weapons historically used to deal with Rafah, putting the U.S. in a complex position of supporting both Israel’s military operations and Gaza’s humanitarian aid efforts.
A pier built by the U.S. military to facilitate aid deliveries in Gaza broke apart in rough seas after only eight days of operation. During this short period, only a small number of aid trucks managed to deliver supplies into Gaza, and some of them were looted. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has escalated, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to plan a visit to Washington, D.C., next month to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24. There is uncertainty about whether Netanyahu will meet with President Biden due to Biden’s growing frustration with Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict. Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas believes that the public is beginning to question Netanyahu’s motives for prolonging the war.
The use of human shields by Hamas and the targeting of civilian areas by Israeli forces have raised concerns about the humanitarian impact of the conflict. The international community is calling for a cease-fire to prevent further loss of life and suffering among civilians. Blinken’s upcoming trip to the Middle East aims to garner support for this cease-fire proposal and secure the release of hostages. As the conflict continues to escalate, there is a pressing need for diplomatic efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution and address the root causes of the ongoing violence.
