Netanyahu responds to Blinken: The operation in Rafah is "not contingent on anything"
The secretary of state met with the Israeli prime minister in Jerusalem and reiterated his opposition to the IDF's operation in Rufah.
(240109) -- TEL AVIV, Jan. 9, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 9, 2024. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday with Israeli officials the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and urged the Israeli side to protect civilians in Gaza. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Wednesday to meet with Jewish state officials. During his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, the U.S. official highlighted the improvement in the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, although he asked to accelerate the pace of assistance, according to the U.S. State Department.
Blinken once again expressed the United States' opposition to the operation in Rafah.
However, the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement that Netanyahu told the secretary of state that the raid on the Palestinian city is "not contingent on anything" and that he would not accept an agreement for Hamas to release hostages that includes ending the war.
Are the chances of reaching an agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia fading?
Blinken also claimed that if a ceasefire does not occur in Gaza, the chances of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia will be slim. The British newspaper The Guardian revealed that due to the lack of a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, Washington and Riyadh are discussing a Plan B in case the Israelis and Saudis fail to reach an agreement to normalize ties.
According to the report, the main obstacle interfering with a possible agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia is the inability to reach an understanding on the issue of establishing a Palestinian state.
Turkey plans to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey would join the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
"Upon completion of the legal text of our work, we will submit the declaration of official intervention before the ICJ with the objective of implementing this political decision," Fidan said at a joint press conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, in Ankara.
"Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all circumstances," he added.
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