US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday, referred to "Hezbollah's retreat to the north of the Litani River," noting that "Iran has lost the ability to supply the party with weapons."
"Hezbollah has lost and is now a thing of the past. His attacks have harmed the Lebanese and the Israelis," he said at a press conference on the situation in the Middle East.
On another hand, Blinken said that it was up to Hamas to seal a Gaza ceasefire, saying a final proposal was on the table at talks in Qatar.
"The ball is now in Hamas's court. If Hamas accepts, the deal is ready to be concluded and implemented," Blinken said in Washington, speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank.
Blinken, who leaves office next week, said that the United States on Sunday put forward a "final proposal" alongside Egypt and Qatar.
Repeating President Joe Biden's remarks a day earlier, Blinken said that the deal to end the 15-month war was "on the brink" of acceptance.
"It's closer than it's ever been before, but right now, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance, and until we get that word we'll remain on the brink," he said.
"That could come anytime. It come in the hours ahead. It could come in the days ahead."
He acknowledged that acceptance may come after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on Monday.
"I believe we will get a ceasefire," he said.
"Whether we get there in the remaining days of our administration or after January 20, I believe the deal will follow closely the terms of the agreement that President Biden put forward last May and our administration rallied the world behind."
Blinken said that Israel must accept a pathway to a Palestinian state, under conditions, as part of a long-term deal on the Gaza war.
"Israel will have to accept reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under the leadership of a reformed PA," Blinken said referring to the Palestinian Authority, and "must embrace a time-bound, conditions-based path toward forming an independent Palestinian state."
Blinken also said that post-war Gaza should be under the control of the Palestinian Authority but with interim roles for foreign players and the United Nations.
"We believe that the Palestinian Authority should invite international partners to help establish and run an interim administration with responsibility for key civil sectors in Gaza," Blinken said, revealing a long-awaited plan for post-war Gaza as his term ends.
The US Secretary of State said that a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which he negotiated but did not complete, remained the best way to encourage Israeli-Palestinian peace.
"The prospect of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia represents the best opportunity to achieve the long-sought goal of Israel's greater integration in the region, and it's also the best incentive to get the parties to make tough decisions necessary to fully realize the aspirations both of Israelis and Palestinians," he said at the Atlantic Council.
With AFP
Comments