Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Monday that he hopes to achieve peace offers with extra Arab international locations and proceed the method he went by means of a couple of years in the past as soon as the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon is over because the yearlong army marketing campaign enters a brand new part with a contemporary spherical of truce talks.
“The day after Hamas no longer controls Gaza and Hezbollah no longer sits on our northern border, we are working these days on plans to stabilize those two fronts. But the day after includes something else of utmost importance,” Netanyahu stated in a speech to parliament.
“I aspire to continue the process I led a few years ago of the signing of the historic Abraham Accords, and achieve peace with more Arab countries,” he stated.
Israel, below the U.S.-brokered 2020 accords, normalized relations with 4 Arab international locations – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Since then, Israel, with U.S. help, has sought to additionally embody different nations, notably Saudi Arabia. Riyadh says it won’t acknowledge Israel with out the creation of a Palestinian state.
“I emphasize peace for peace, peace out of strength with important countries in the Middle East,” Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Netanyahu as saying on Monday.
“These countries, and other countries, see clearly the blows we are landing on those who attack us, the Iranian axis of evil,” he stated.
“They aspire, like us, for a stable, secure and prosperous Middle East.”
The Abraham Accords had been reached below the administration of then-president Donald Trump, who’s searching for a return to the White House.
The United States, Israel’s foremost backer, has lengthy sought to dealer an eventual settlement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which might entail U.S. safety ensures for the dominion.
Washington has hoped to present an incentive to Netanyahu to cease the conflict and acquire a robust Arab ally, the guardian of Islam’s two holiest websites.
Riyadh, nevertheless, has conditioned any such settlement on the popularity of an impartial Palestinian state – a prospect rejected by Israel.
Saudi Arabia didn’t be part of the 2020 offers and has by no means acknowledged Israel.
An settlement had nonetheless appeared nearer final yr, earlier than the Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault. Since then Israel ramped up assaults on Gaza, killing at the least 43,000 Palestinians.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to make headway with Saudi Arabia on normalization with Israel.
The prime U.S. diplomat flew instantly from Tel Aviv in Israel to the Saudi capital Riyadh, on a tour of the Middle East days earlier than the U.S. election.
“There remains, despite everything that’s happened, an incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction,” Blinken stated minutes earlier than he left Israel.
“Saudi Arabia would be right at the heart of that, and that includes potentially normalization of relations with Israel.”
Doha talks
Israel individually stated on Monday the pinnacle of the Mossad spy company had returned from talks in Doha together with his CIA counterpart and the Qatari premier, the place they mentioned a brand new “framework” for a Gaza hostage launch deal.
“The sides discussed a new unified framework that integrates previous proposals and also takes into account the main issues and recent developments in the region,” the workplace of Netanyahu stated in an announcement.
“In the coming days, discussions will continue between the mediators and Hamas to assess the feasibility of talks and to further efforts to promote a deal,” it added.
Mediators embody Qatar, the United States and Egypt, whose President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday unveiled a proposal for a two-day truce in Israel’s conflict on Gaza that would come with a hostage launch deal.
War ‘ought to finish’
Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden in the meantime stated Monday that Israel’s conflict in Gaza “should end,” including that he was renewing efforts for a cease-fire after Egypt proposed a two-day truce.
“We need a cease-fire. We should end this war. It should end, it should end, it should end,” Biden informed reporters after casting his early vote within the U.S. presidential election.
Source: www.dailysabah.com