U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 1st. According to local media, Netanyahu said he would not accept an agreement to end the fight against the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas. He also stressed that ground action would be taken against Rafah, the southernmost populated area of the Palestinian Autonomous Region of Gaza, regardless of the situation.
Israel's proposal for a ceasefire was handed over to Hamas over the weekend, with Blinken calling it "generous" and urging it to accept it as soon as possible. Hamas officials expressed their opposition on the 1st, arguing that it is unfair to hold Hamas responsible for the delay in reaching a ceasefire agreement. Another senior official said the goal was to end the fighting through an agreement, which showed that the rift with Israel had not yet been bridged.
The Biden administration has voiced its opposition to the Israeli military's attack on Rafah, citing a lack of a plan to evacuate civilians.
During the talks with the Israeli side, Blinken is also expected to demand measures to increase aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, where there is a humanitarian crisis. He is expected to visit Ashdod, Israel's southern port of Ashdod, which has recently opened for imports. Blinken said on April 30 that the temporary dock that the U.S. military is building on the Gaza coast will be completed within a week.
Netanyahu's government faces a deepening conflict over future policy. National Security Minister Ben Beer, a member of the far-right party in the ruling coalition, posted on X (former Twitter) that "irresponsible deals = dissolution of the government" and suggested that he would leave the coalition if the fighting broke out. In response, former Defense Minister Gantz, a member of the wartime cabinet and a representative of the center-right opposition, called for an armistice and said that priority should be given to the release of hostages rather than the attack on Rafah.
Various polls show that Netanyahu's approval ratings have dropped after allowing a surprise attack by Hamas, and there is a strong opinion that he will be forced to step down if the coalition government collapses and elections are held. Netanyahu, who wants to stay in power, is caught between a rock and a hard place
Some netizens think: Maybe Israel disappeared from that land, otherwise all this will never end. To be honest, a peace plan accepted by both sides can only serve the purpose of expediency. Isn't that what most people think?
I hope it ends peacefully, but if it continues to drag on, if it ends up happening again and causing more damage, I think it's better to go where it ended up. But in the end, even if Palestine collapses, Israel will not win outright.
In the future, even if the war ends, on the territory of Israel, it will lead to frequent terrorist attacks. Terrorism still happens. With so many children in Gaza being killed, is there no one who will take revenge. Israeli schools will be the first to be targeted.
Netanyahu does not want the battle with Hamas to end, not only because he fears that he will lose his premiership if it ends, but also because the corruption criminal trials, which have been suspended due to the ongoing fighting, will resume. The people of Israel have seen that this is because they fear being arrested, convicted and imprisoned.
I really feel sorry for the Israeli soldiers, who were forced to participate in a battle for no reason, and their purpose was to protect the prime minister . . .
Even if an armistice is reached, if Israel insists on not de-escalating the fighting, it will not be reached. While a truce is being discussed, it is unthinkable to make such a statement.
The negotiations were supposed to ease humanitarian concerns, but on what basis could this conflict be brought to an end? The order and common sense that is supposed to exist in Israeli and Hamas societies has collapsed.
Some netizens also said: I don't want the cycle of hatred to deepen further. The UN Security Council ceased to function due to US interference. The world has become a place of extrajustice without police. On the contrary, the resolution of the UN plenary is correct. The meeting reached a resolution on an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assistance. I hope that the veto-powered Security Council will be dissolved as soon as possible and a United Nations of 193 countries will be established.