Blinken returns empty-handed to US amid wide gap between Washington and Netanyahu on Gaza

US secretary of state Antony Blinken returned empty-handed to Washington on Thursday following his fifth trip to the Middle East since the start of the war.

During his final news conference he tried to put an optimistic spin on his effort by saying the Hamas proposal for phased hostage releases and ceasefires was positive despite provisions that were “non-starters.” Blinken admitted a “lot of work remains to be done.”

Hamas, Qatari and Egyptian delegations met for talks on Thursday in Cairo to search for a compromise.

During Blinken’s visit Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu exposed the wide gap between his intentions and US-backed proposals. He pre-empted a Blinken briefing by flatly rejecting the Hamas proposal and apparently dismissed the proposal of a humanitarian pause drafted by the US, Qatar, Israel, and Egypt by stating he would continue the Gaza war until “total victory”.

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Netanyahu said eliminating Hamas was his chief objective rather than ceasefires and the release of 132 hostages held by Hamas since its October 7th attack. He dismissed Blinken’s opposition to an Israeli offensive in Rafah in Gaza’s south where 1.2 million Palestinians have taken refuge at Israel’s command.

During Blinken’s first stop he met Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who has mediated ceasefire efforts and considered the Hamas proposal to be positive.

The Saudis said they would not normalise relations with Israel until the war ends and there is recognition of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Arab commentators argued the Saudis have reverted to the 2002 Arab summit peace plan which called for full relations with Israel in exchange for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab territory conquered in 1967 and a viable Palestinian state.

If Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman were to speak of normalisation while Palestinians are dying in Gaza he would sacrifice the popularity he gained through reforms. A public opinion poll conducted late last year by the pro-Israel Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank showed that 96 per cent of Saudis said all Arabs should cut ties with Israel.

In a meeting with Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Blinken discussed continuing efforts to release hostages and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. Cairo has warned that if Israeli bombing of Rafah compels Palestinians to cross into Egypt, its 1979 peace treaty with Israel will be suspended.

In talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to the emergence of a Palestinian state, and called for reform to enable the Palestinian Authority to administer Gaza. As Israel has rejected both propositions, Abbas was unlikely to be reassured.

Meanwhile, Gaza war spin-offs continue. On Wednesday a US drone strike in Baghdad killed Wisam al-Saadi, a senior commander of Kataib Hizbullah, an Iraqi-based militia which is supported by Iran. He was accused of masterminding the January drone attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan. This has forced Baghdad to increase pressure for the withdrawal of 2,500 US troops from Iraq.

At the same time Lebanon’s Hizbullah and Israel have continued to exchange fire across the border, risking Israeli war on Beirut.

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