Blinken says ‘decisive moment’ for Gaza ceasefire talks
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described the latest diplomatic push by the US to strike a deal between Hamas and Israel as “probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity” to secure the release of the Israeli captives in Gaza.
Speaking before meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Blinken said Washington was also working “to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security” amid concerns over a possible attack by Iran on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital Tehran.
Blinken meets Israel’s President Herzog in Tel Aviv
Lapid renews call for Gaza ceasefire deal
The Israeli opposition leader urges Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not miss the chance to reach a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing talks with Hamas on the war in Gaza.
“When the US Secretary of State says this morning, ‘Maybe this is the last chance for a deal’, this is an appeal to Netanyahu,” Yair Lapid wrote on X.
“Don’t miss this opportunity, you abandoned them. It’s your duty to return them. If they don’t come back, we can’t heal,” he said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel to hold talks with officials. He met President Herzog this morning and will meet Netanyahu later today.
Iran welcomes any ‘sincere effort’ aimed at Gaza ceasefire
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani says Tehran has in the past months used all its diplomatic capacity to stop Israel’s war on Gaza, adding that his country welcomes any “sincere effort” aimed at establishing a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
He said during his weekly news conference that Iran does not consider the United States as a qualified party to pursue the Gaza ceasefire talks because Washington is complicit in the war.
The US has repeatedly shown it is not committed to protecting regional peace and security, and instead is committed to Israel’s security, Kanaani added. The spokesman also said that the war has continued in the Palestinian territory as a result of the inaction of the international community, particularly the UN Security Council.
Netanyahu says meeting with Blinken was ‘positive’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his three-hour meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was “positive and conducted in a good spirit”, according to a statement from his office.
“The prime minister reiterated Israel’s commitment to the latest American proposal regarding the release of our hostages – taking into account Israel’s security needs, which he insists on firmly,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Airlines suspend more flights to Middle East amid regional tensions
Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend more flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.
- Aegean Airlines: The Greek airline cancelled all flights to and from Beirut, Amman and Tel Aviv until Monday.
- Air Algerie: The Algerian airline suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.
- Air India: The Indian flag carrier suspended scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.
- Air France-KLM: KLM cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 26. Air France resumed service between Paris and Beirut on Thursday after a two-week suspension.
- Cathay Pacific: The Hong Kong-based airline cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27.
- Delta Airlines: The US carrier extended the suspension of flights between New York and Tel Aviv until August 31.
- LOT: The Polish flag carrier suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until August 26.
- Ryanair: Europe’s biggest budget airline cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until September 3.
- United: The Chicago-based airline suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future.
- Lufthansa extends Middle East flight suspensions through August 26
Preventing escalation requires stopping aggression on Gaza: Jordan
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has said that the only way to prevent a regional escalation “is to stop the killing and stop the aggression on Gaza”. “If a ceasefire is reached and the aggression ends, the threat of a regional escalation will go down significantly,” he said in a post on X.
“A ceasefire must happen. An end to the aggression in Gaza must materialise as soon as possible. Failure to act now means more death, destruction, and a greater risk of regional escalation,” Safadi added.
