Secretary Blinken: Well, hello, everybody. Ten days ago, President Biden put forward a proposal that would see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, bring back all the hostages, and move us toward a lasting solution to the conflict in Gaza. It’s a proposal that’s very close to the proposal that Hamas accepted just a short time ago. Since the president made this proposal, countries throughout the region and around the world — as well as international organizations — have supported it. Israel has accepted it. And the only exception at this point — the only exception at this point in time — is Hamas.
So my message to governments and people across the region is: If you want a ceasefire, pressure Hamas to say yes. If you want to alleviate the terrible suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, pressure Hamas to say yes. If you want all the hostages to return home, pressure Hamas to say yes. If you want to put Israelis and Palestinians alike on a path to more lasting peace and security, pressure Hamas to say yes. If you want to prevent this conflict from escalating, pressure Hamas to say yes.
Now, if we get this ceasefire, it also opens the way for more durable security, peace, tranquility in Gaza. And for that, it’s important that we continue to work on plans for the day after to make sure that when it comes to security in Gaza, when it comes to governance, when it comes to reconstruction, we have plans to move forward. This is going to be an important part of my conversations in the region, as we go to Israel and then Jordan and then Qatar.
Throughout this process, Egypt has played an important and leading role, supporting the proposal for a ceasefire and the return of hostages, working on these day-next plans, being a key partner in delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza who are in great need of it. And I want to thank President Sisi again for a very good exchange and for all the work we are doing on an almost daily basis.
In Jordan itself – and we’ll come to this in a day – we’re going to focus intensely on humanitarian assistance and civilian protection. Because deal or no deal, it’s absolutely vital that we provide more aid to the Palestinians who need it, that that aid reaches and is distributed to those who desperately need it, and that we continue to work to protect civilians and get them out of danger.
Look, I think this is a critical moment, because we see the possibility, we see the possibility of an immediate ceasefire, of bringing all the hostages home, of moving forward on the path to a lasting solution to the conflict in Gaza. I know there are those who are pessimistic about the prospects. That’s understandable. Hamas continues to show extraordinary suspicion in its actions, no interest in the well-being and safety of not only Israelis but Palestinians. And there are those in the region who are working against efforts to bring about a ceasefire and lasting peace, who do not accept the existence of Israelis or Palestinians – much less their ability to live together in peace.
But I firmly believe – this is my eighth trip to the region since October 7 – that the overwhelming majority of people – whether they’re in Israel, in the West Bank, in Gaza, throughout the region, around the world – truly believe in a future where Israelis and Palestinians alike can live in peace and security. And for the United States, we will continue our efforts every day, first of all to achieve this ceasefire, to bring the hostages back home; but second, to try to put everyone in the region on that better path.
Andrea.
Question: Mr. Secretary, you say everybody agrees to this except Hamas. Benjamin Netanyahu has certainly said the opposite publicly, and the hostage families are saying if this fails you should do everything possible. And it’s very possible that it will fail because he’s now hardening his position with his right-wing allies. If this fails, they want you to work through Qatar and deal with Hamas to get the Americans back. We’re reporting on NBC News that this is being discussed as a backup plan – if there’s no other way to get a ceasefire – to do this without Israel agreeing to a ceasefire deal. Tell us about that. And if the war continues, won’t the number of Palestinian deaths be unacceptable, as Israel’s national security adviser has said, by the end of the year after so many terrible deaths in the military’s rescue of the hostages this weekend?
Secretary Blinken: First of all, let me make this clear: Israel has accepted the proposal. In fact, their role in pushing it forward was crucial. So the only party —
Question: (Unclear)
Secretary Blinken: No, this is – this is – this is the official position of the Israeli government, the prime minister. So the only party that has not accepted it, the only party that has not said yes is Hamas. This is what everybody is waiting for. This is what the Palestinian people in Gaza are waiting for, this is what the Israeli people are waiting for, this is what the hostages and the hostage families are waiting for, this is what the whole region and the whole world is waiting for. And so we’ll see. Does Hamas want to end this conflict, end this war that it started, or not? We’ll find out. But it’s clear that virtually the whole world has come together in support of the proposal, and the only open question is whether Hamas will say yes. So that’s one.
Second, on the matter of hostages, my first priority as Secretary of State is to ensure the well-being of Americans who are in danger anywhere in the world, including those who are wrongfully detained or held hostage. The best way, the most effective way to get everybody home, including American hostages, is through this proposal, is through the ceasefire agreement that’s under discussion right now. That’s what we’re focused on. That’s what we want to achieve — want to achieve.
And finally, Andrea, in terms of civilian suffering, civilian casualties, civilian injuries, humanitarian aid, again, the most immediate answer to that question, the best way to make sure there are no more civilian casualties is to pursue a ceasefire agreement, to get Hamas to accept it. It’s as basic and simple as that. That’s what’s on the table now; that’s what we need to see answered. That’s what will end the conflict in Gaza; that’s what will prevent more civilian casualties.
Question: If that’s your top priority, wouldn’t indirect negotiations at least get those Americans back home?
Secretary Blinken: Again, that’s always been my top priority: getting the Americans back home. And so, the most effective way to do that, to actually get them back home, is through the proposal that’s on the table. So let’s see if we get a response from Hamas.
Question: Mr. Secretary, after your meeting with the Egyptians today, do you have a better sense of when Hamas will actually respond to this proposal – as you say, it’s been on the table for 10 days at this point – and whether the raid over the weekend to release those Israeli hostages might have a negative impact on their response? And then you’re also scheduled to meet with Benny Gantz tomorrow. I wonder what your message is to him after his resignation, and whether you’re concerned – growing concerned – about Netanyahu not having a path to end this war, because that’s why Gantz stepped down from the government.
Secretary Blinken: So regarding Egypt, first of all, as I said, we very much appreciate their important role as mediators and trying to get Hamas not only to the negotiating table, but to negotiate and now to say yes. I can’t go into the details of our conversations today, except to say that our Egyptian counterparts were in contact with Hamas very early on — as recently as just a few hours ago. And so let me just say a —
Question: Was this conversation promising?
Secretary Blinken: Again, I won’t give any details about it. But I think Egypt, the United States, other countries believe that, again, we should be able to say yes. But ultimately, I can’t put myself, any of us, into the mind of Hamas or its leaders. So we don’t know what the answer will be. I have nothing more to say about that. All I know is that there is a sense of real urgency on the part of all concerned parties — with us, with Egypt, with all of our Arab partners, the Arab League, countries throughout the region, and many more — to get an answer and a positive answer, because that is the best way to accomplish what so many people around the world want: to get an immediate ceasefire, to bring the hostages back home, to get us on a path to lasting peace and security for people in Gaza and throughout the region. So that’s what we’re working on.
I think on almost every trip to the region, including to Israel, I have met with Israeli leaders, whether they are part of the government or not, and Benny Gantz is someone I have a deep respect for. The decisions that Israelis make about their government, who is in, who is out – those are decisions for Israelis to make, not us. But I will continue to meet with Mr. Gantz and others who lead the major political parties in Israel and who are going to be critical to the path forward.
Question: But based on his decision to step down, are you concerned that the prime minister has no plan to end the war, as he has said? He has seen it from the inside.
Secretary Blinken: So – look, you’ve heard me talk about this, and I think if we get a positive response to the ceasefire, it underscores the urgent need to make sure that we have plans for what happens the next day. Because in the absence of those plans, one of three things can happen. Either Israel will have to stay – which it says it doesn’t want to do and we believe it should not do and it will have to shoulder its burden in Gaza and probably have a major uprising on its hands in the coming years – or in the absence of a plan, it will leave, Hamas will come back; or we will have a total zero, and you will just have chaos, anarchy, crime, jihadist groups, et cetera. So it’s imperative that there is a plan, and it must include security, it must include governance, it must include reconstruction.
We’ve spent the last five months from the beginning of the year to now working intensively with countries across the region to develop these plans, and as I mentioned a few minutes ago, that’s going to be a big part of this trip as well, to carry those conversations forward. It would be great if Israel would put forward its thoughts on this, and I’ll talk to the government about that. But one way or another, we have to have these plans, we have to implement them, we have to be ready if we want to reap the benefits of a ceasefire and end this conflict in a way that actually creates long-term security for Israel. Because again, in the absence of a long-term plan, in the absence of not knowing what you’re going to do after the conflict in Gaza is over, that’s a recipe for lasting insecurity for Israel. That’s not in their interest, and that’s what we’ll talk about.
Question: Thank you.
Secretary Blinken: Thank you very much.
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