Blinken and Netanyahu Agree Sinwar’s Death Opens Possibilities

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(Bloomberg) — The top U.S. diplomat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed Tuesday that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar opens new possibilities for ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip, but they gave no indication that a two-and-a-half-hour meeting had led to an agreement. Agree on what comes next.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his 11th trip to the region since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, called for “charting a new path forward” that “allows Palestinians to rebuild their lives and provide governance, security, and reconstruction for Gaza,” he said. To an American reading of their meeting in Jerusalem.

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Netanyahu, who has vowed to continue the fight against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, said Sinwar’s killing by Israeli soldiers last week could help achieve Israel’s war goals, according to his office. But he also stressed the need to unite the United States and Israel against the “Iranian threat.”

The United States is pressuring Israel to avoid striking oil export sites or Iranian nuclear sites in its promised response to Iranian missile strikes on October 1, fearing that this would lead to the outbreak of a regional war and raise energy prices.

Iran stressed on Tuesday that Arab countries should not allow the United States or Israel to use their airspace or bases on their territory to launch an expected Israeli strike. Iran has warned them that if they do so, they will be potential targets in any potential counterstrike.

Blinken, who also plans to make other stops in the Middle East during this trip, is continuing what may be his last attempt to achieve a ceasefire before the US presidential elections on November 5. However, the White House may have to be satisfied with that. Preventing an escalation of hostilities before the vote, given that Israeli leaders feel buoyed by their recent battlefield gains and determined to move forward.

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Gaza has been subjected to Israeli aerial bombardment and ground attacks for more than a year since the Iranian-backed Hamas invasion of southern Israel. However, Hamas fighters are regrouping in part of northern Gaza, prompting Israel to intensify its operations.

Netanyahu insists that Israel will continue its military operations against Hezbollah, regardless of international pressure to stop the escalation, according to a Western official he met in recent days.

Strikes by Israel and Hezbollah

Most of Israel’s military power is now concentrated in Lebanon, which is under the control of Hezbollah, which has been severely weakened by Israeli attacks and with most of its leaders killed in the past six weeks.

However, Israel and Hezbollah continued to exchange heavy fire over the past 24 hours. An overnight Israeli attack near Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut killed 13 people, including a child, and wounded nearly 60 others, according to Lebanese officials. They said that the raid caused severe damage to the hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals in Lebanon.

Israel said that it did not bomb the hospital, but rather struck a nearby Hezbollah target.

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Hezbollah fired several missiles toward Tel Aviv hours before Blinken landed. The Israeli army said that it intercepted most of the shells or that they fell in open areas. The shooting still means hundreds of thousands of people have to go to shelters.

This week, the Israeli military expanded its campaign in Lebanon to target Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a bank-like institution that it says helps finance Hezbollah operations. The Shiite group was also accused of holding cash and gold in a cache under another hospital in Beirut.

Those in charge of the Coast General Hospital denied this.

United Nations resolution

Biden’s main envoy for Israel and Hezbollah affairs, Amos Hochstein, was in Beirut on Monday to speak with the militant group’s allies. He was trying to see under what conditions the two sides could fully implement a UN Security Council resolution — known as Resolution 1701, which helped end the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel wants Hezbollah to disarm and remove its fighters from the Israeli border, in accordance with the terms of Resolution 1701.

But Israel has given no indication that it will halt air surveillance flights over Lebanon – a violation of the resolution – and has indicated that it wants the right to strike Hezbollah after the conflict if its fighters approach Israeli territory. While this will be difficult for Lebanese politicians to accept, it will enable tens of thousands of displaced Israelis from northern communities to return to their homes, a key goal for Netanyahu.

The Israeli attacks on Lebanon forced about 1.2 million people – out of a population of about 5.5 million – to flee their homes.

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