Netanyahu, Blinken discuss Israeli hostage release, governance of post-war Gaza

Less than a week after Israel killed Hamas’ recently-appointed leader, Yahya Sinwar, hints of a halt to the Gaza war are finally appearing.

On Tuesday (October 22), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office gave what has been perhaps the strongest indication of this.

In a statement, the office said that Netanyahu discussed post-war Gaza governance with the United states Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He also expressed hope that the killing of Hamas’s leader would help hostage release.

“Both sides discussed the issue of governance in Gaza in the aftermath of the war. The prime minister emphasised that the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could have a positive impact on the return of the hostages” held in Gaza for more than a year, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement issued after the meeting with Secretary of State Blinken in Jerusalem, according to AFP.

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Blinken urged Netanyahu to seize on the killing of Hamas’s leader to work towards a Gaza ceasefire, as most leaders from Western nations have also pressed on. 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 in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Matthew Miller, State Department spokesperson, said after the talks in Jerusalem.

Blinken also pressed for more aid to be allowed into the Palestinian territory as concerns rise for tens of thousands of civilians trapped by fighting in the hard-to-reach north.

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With inputs from agencies