A joint statement released by the Governments of the United Kingdom and United States following a meeting between Blinken and Lammy in London said that Lammy “expressed the United Kingdom’s clear support for the ongoing mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.”
“Both the United Kingdom and United States underlined their support for Israel’s security and the importance of avoiding any escalatory action in the region which would undermine the prospect for peace and progress towards a two-state solution,” the statement said.
“In that regard, they affirmed their shared commitment to securing a political agreement for a lasting security solution along the Blue Line that will allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians on both sides to return to their homes with safety and security.”
The two also “discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and reiterated calls for all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and for Israel to facilitate the flow of aid, including ensuring the UN and humanitarian partners can deliver their operations safely. They welcomed the ongoing polio vaccination campaign and underlined the importance of cooperation from all parties with the WHO and health agencies to ensure that all children who need to be are vaccinated.”
The statement also noted Iran’s nuclear program and said that Blinken and Lammy “agreed that Iran’s nuclear program had never been more advanced and posed a clear threat to regional and global peace and security.”
The United States has been pushing an outline for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that President Joe Biden first laid out in May, but Hamas has continuously rejected every proposal that has been presented to it.
On Wednesday, Hamas once again said that its negotiators reiterated the group’s readiness to implement an "immediate" ceasefire with Israel in Gaza based on a previous US proposal without new conditions from any party.
Blinken on Tuesday downplayed pessimism over the prospects of a hostage release deal, saying that the US will present a new proposal for a deal “very soon”.
“On the ceasefire, here’s what I can tell you: More than 90 percent of the issues have been agreed, decided. So we’re down to a handful of issues – not even a handful of issues – that are hard but fully resolvable, in our judgment. And as we’ve said before, when you get down to the last 10 percent, the last 10 meters, those are, almost by definition, the hardest ground to cover. But we believe that these are fully resolvable,” Blinken told reporters.
“Right now, we’re working intensely with our Egyptian and Qatari counterparts to work together to bridge any remaining gaps. And in the coming time, very soon, we’ll put that before the parties and we’ll see what they say,” he added. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva
