• th

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on "Israel" to put efforts toward a ceasefire following the martyrdom of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and what he described as the "significant weakening of Hamas' capabilities".

“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 depart the occupied territories for Riyadh after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Blinken claimed that there has been “progress” in increasing aid to Gaza, stating, “This is positive, but we need to make more progress, and, most importantly, it must be sustained.” However, it's crucial to point out that the US' empty statements about aid efforts for Gaza are consistently overshadowed by ongoing military support for "Israel".

This comes as "Israel" continues, for the 19th consecutive day, to impose a tight siege on northern Gaza, as part of a systematic plan to forcibly displace its residents and destroy all aspects of life and infrastructure.

The top US diplomat also urged "Israel" to avoid “greater escalation” in its counter-attack on Iran, after the later carried out its retaliatory Operation True Promise II on October 1, emphasizing, “It’s crucial that Israel reacts in ways that do not lead to further escalation.”

Tehran considers the US complicit in "Israel's" anticipated attack "through its provision of technical expertise and advanced weaponry, including sophisticated air defense systems, to Israel."

Committing to 1701 is not enough: Hochstein

Related News

US blocks global maritime decarbonisation deal at UN shipping talks

Trump says too early for Tomahawks, eyes peace deal with Russia

Blinken's visit came after US envoy Amos Hochstein's visit to Lebanon on Monday. During a press conference in Beirut, Hochstein stated that "the US wants to end the war completely, and we need to reach a formula to put an end to this conflict once and for all."

Hochstein met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, describing the meeting as "very constructive". Additionally, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received Hochstein at the Grand Serail in Beirut.

The US envoy emphasized the importance of ensuring that all parties involved in the war recognize the need for the implementation of Resolution 1701, highlighting that significant progress is still required to meet the expectations set by this resolution.

Hochstein further asserted that it is crucial to take steps to ensure its enforcement moving forward, stressing "Both sides simply committing to (UN resolution) 1701 is not enough."

The resolution was reached in the wake of the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon and calls for the full cessation of hostilities and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to Southern Lebanon, as well as the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line buffer zone [between Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories] and the Litani River.

"Israel" completely disregarded the resolution in the aftermath of the war, continuously violating Lebanese sovereignty with overflights from its aircraft.

'Israel' hands White House demands for ceasefire in Lebanon: Axios

Earlier on Monday, Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials, that the Israeli occupation government submitted a document to the US Department last week outlining its conditions for a ceasefire to end the war in Lebanon and enable the return of displaced civilians.

The document was delivered by Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, on Thursday, ahead of Hochstein's visit to Beirut on Monday to seek a resolution to the war.

Israeli officials indicated that the document reflects key principles discussed with the Israeli Ministry of Security and the Israeli Occupation Forces, emphasizing what "Israel" demands in any diplomatic solution to end the war.