Blinken Describes Israel-Hamas Ceasefire as 'Productive' in Tel Aviv

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting Israel, stated on Thursday that the temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has yielded results, and the United States hopes it will continue. This is Blinken's third trip to the region since Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. According to Reuters, during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Blinken said Washington is focused on helping to free hostages taken during the Hamas attack. Israel claims that Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 240 during the October 7 assault. Herzog mentioned in his meeting with Blinken that about 150 hostages remain in Gaza. During the six-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, 90 Israeli and non-Israeli hostages have been released, while Israel has also freed dozens of Palestinians held in the country. The U.S. Secretary of State remarked to Herzog, 'We have seen very positive progress over the past week with the return of some hostages to their homes and reuniting with their families; this must continue today.' Blinken also expressed satisfaction with the 'increased humanitarian aid to innocent civilians in Gaza who are in dire need.' He stated, 'Therefore, this process has yielded results. This is important, and we hope it continues.' The meeting between Blinken and Herzog took place on a morning when two Palestinian attackers killed at least three people and injured eight others in Jerusalem. Both Blinken and Herzog condemned the attack. On Wednesday, Antony Blinken had stated that during his Middle Eastern trip, he would emphasize extending the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of more hostages. The Israeli army announced on Thursday, just 15 minutes before the ceasefire deadline expired, via a tweet in Hebrew, that due to mediators' efforts to continue the hostage release process and subject to the terms of the agreement, the ceasefire would continue. The Israeli Prime Minister's office also confirmed the extension of the ceasefire agreement for one more day. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was initially set for four days but was extended for an additional two days until Thursday. During this time, Israel and Hamas exchanged a number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel for several Hamas hostages. Hamas, which released 16 hostages in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday, stated in a statement that the ceasefire would continue for a seventh day. The U.S., the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization. Israel and Hamas extended the ceasefire agreement for one more day. Netanyahu stated that the war to destroy Hamas would resume. The UN Secretary-General expressed dissatisfaction, stating that humanitarian aid to Gaza is insufficient even with the ceasefire in place.