Netanyahu and Blinken Hold Private Meeting in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (1/5/2024) held a private meeting with United States (US) Minister of Foreign Affairs Antony Blinken in Jerusalem.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are currently holding a private meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

A lengthy meeting of Israeli and US delegations will be held later, according to the office.

Earlier in the day, Blinken held a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

The meeting came as the parties expected a response from the Palestinian movement Hamas to the proposed ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

The proposed hostage deal, put forward by Egypt and reportedly drafted by Israel, has two stages: the release of at least 20 hostages over three weeks in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners in the first stage, which could be extended by one day for each additional hostage, and a ceasefire for 10 weeks. , in which Hamas and Israel will agree to a larger hostage exchange and an extension of a ceasefire that could last up to a year, media reported.

Blinken described the proposal as “very generous” while speaking at a World Economic Forum panel in Riyadh on Monday (29/4/2024).

Meanwhile, Israel is preparing an attack on the city of Rafah which is feared by the United States.

The Israeli colonial regime has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The dead were mostly women and children.

The US is the supplier of weapons that Israel uses to massacre Palestinians.

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