Blinken presses Netanyahu to publicly deny siege of north Gaza, discusses ceasefire & hostage deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly reject the idea of a siege of north Gaza.

Blinken on Tuesday met Netanyahu and their discussions covered the ceasefire and hostage deal, the day-after plan for the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, publicised plans for a siege of north Gaza, and the expected retaliation to Iran’s missile attack.

Blinken also held talks with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, President Issac Herzog, and the families of hostages held in Gaza.

Blinken’s conversation with Netanyahu regarding the siege of north Gaza comes amid reports that Israel is planning to implement, or is already implementing at least in part, a controversial plan dubbed the ‘Generals’ Plan’ in north Gaza. The plan seeks to order removal of civilians from an area and then besiege it and treat all those remaining it as combatants.

While Israel has privately assured the United States that it would not besiege north Gaza, Blinken pressed Netanyahu to go public with the declaration as he has so far in the far said things in private that he did not follow through in public or contradicted with actions on the ground, according to The Times of Israel.

The ‘surrender or starve’ plan, floated by a group of retired Israeli military officers led by Major General (Retired) Giora Eiland, has been slammed for being a recipe for a humanitarian catastrophe. Starvation as an instrument of war and wilful attacks on civilians who may still be there would also amount to war crimes.

Blinken urges Netanyahu to publicly reject Gaza siege

Blinken urged Netanyahu to publicly reject the purported plan to besiege north Gaza, according to The Times of Israel.

A US official told the newspaper that Netanyahu and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer insisted Israel is not implementing the Generals’ Plan and argued that claims to the contrary have been detrimental to Israel’s public image.

However, when Blinken said that Netanyahu to say so publicly, he and his top aides demurred, said the official.

This was the latest episode of frustration between the Joe Biden administration and Israel where Netanyahu privately says what the other side would want to listen but does not actually do it or contradicts it in later public comments.

Blinken discusses peace deal & day-after for Gaza

Blinken and Netanyahu also discussed the efforts for the ceasefire and hostage deal.

Blinken “underscored the need to capitalise on Israel’s successful action to bring Yahya Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza”, according to the Department of State

The Israeli readout said that Netanyahu emphasised that Sinwar’s death “may have a positive effect on the return of the abductees, the achievement of all the goals of the war”.

The talks come as Israel has been reported to be exploring both a comprehensive deal for the end of wars in Gaza and Lebanon in lieu of the release of all hostages and a limited ceasefire in lieu of the release of some hostages.

Netanyahu and Blinken also discussed plans for the post-war future of Gaza. Blinken spoke about the “importance of charting a new path forward in the post-conflict period that allows Palestinians to rebuild their lives and provides governance, security and reconstruction for Gaza”, as per the Department of State.

The statement further said Blinken also “emphasised the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure that assistance reaches civilians throughout Gaza.”

The Israeli readout said that Netanyahu stressed that Sinwar’s killing could also have a positive impact on planning for “the day after the war.”

In the meeting with Blinken, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum asked Blinken to “apply more pressure on the mediating countries, especially Qatar, to restart negotiations and leverage Sinwar’s elimination into a deal for releasing all hostages”, according to The Times of Israel.