Tel Aviv — Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his seventh visit to Israel since the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas militants that led to the war in the Gaza Strip. Blinken expressed the Biden administration's determination to see Hamas and Israel reach a cease-fire agreement in the conflict. Health officials in Gaza reported that the conflict has claimed the lives of over 34,000 people, with the majority being women and children.
Israeli citizens gathered outside Blinken's hotel in Tel Aviv, hoping for increased American support. Some held signs urging for U.S. intervention to secure the release of the 133 hostages, including five U.S. nationals, believed to be still held in Gaza.
After visiting Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Blinken met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the latest cease-fire proposal. Hamas leaders have been reviewing the draft for a couple of days and were expected to respond to the proposal on Wednesday.
"We are determined to achieve a cease-fire that will bring the abductees home, and to achieve it now," Blinken told Herzog as they stood before news cameras on Wednesday. "The only reason a deal will not be reached is because of Hamas. There is an offer on the table, and as we said, no delays, no excuses."
Blinken told Israeli demonstrators outside his hotel in Tel Aviv on Wednesday that he'd delivered the same message to the families of remaining hostages with whom he met soon after arriving back in Israel.
"Bringing your loved ones home is at the heart of everything we're trying to do, and we will not rest until everyone — man, woman, soldier, civilian, young, old — is back home," he told the group. "There is a very strong proposal on the table right now. Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done. That is our determination, and we will not rest, we will not stop until you're reunited with your loved ones. So please keep strong, keep the faith. We will be with you every single day until we get this done."
It can't possibly happen soon enough for dozens of families, including Aviva Siegel's. Her American husband Keith is still among those being held by Hamas, 208 days after he was seized on Oct. 7.
Over the weekend, he appeared in a Hamas propaganda video. For Siegel, it was proof, at least, that her husband was still alive.
"I think the grief and anguish is unimaginable," she expressed to CBS News in an emotional interview. "I feel like I'm broken up into pieces… I know that Keith has had enough. My family's had enough. My country's had enough."
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Aviva was a hostage herself, but she was released after 51 days in captivity.
She and her daughter were among the relatives of American hostages who had a face-to-face with Blinken on Wednesday.
"The feeling was really grateful," Aviva's daughter Elan told CBS News after the meeting. "I think we all feel, and not only the American citizens, I think Israel feels, really grateful for what the United States has been doing since October 7th."
A statement from the collective Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, which represents all of the captives' families, characterized the discussion with Blinken as "positive, with Blinken conveying cautious optimism about the emerging deal for their release."
In Jerusalem, Blinken also pushed Netanyahu to increase the flow of desperately needed aid into Gaza and ensure its safe distribution. Israel has taken steps to allow more aid in by land and sea, and aid agencies acknowledge and uptick, but they say it isn't enough to stave off the threat of famine facing tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the enclave.
During their meeting, Blinken and Netanyahu discussed the recent improvements in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza following the call between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu on April 4. They emphasized the importance of accelerating and sustaining this progress, as stated in a readout by the State Department.
Blinken also reiterated the U.S. commitments to Israel's security and emphasized the need to avoid further escalation of the conflict. The Biden administration maintained its position that any Israeli military ground operation in Rafah should only commence when the safety of the estimated 1.4 million Palestinians seeking refuge there can be guaranteed.
Despite calls from the White House to limit the scope of the operation in Rafah, Netanyahu's government vowed to proceed with the operation and assured the evacuation of civilians. However, the Prime Minister did not specify a timeline for the operation to begin.
