Middle East conflict: peace with Palestine? Netanyahu has other plans

US Secretary of State Blinken called for de-escalation during his trip to Israel.

Netanyahu has alternative peace plans.

News ticker about the attacks in Jerusalem.

• Blink

  for

  two-state solution

  : US Secretary of State warned against unilateral moves

• Blinken

  meets

  Abbas

  : US Secretary of State wants to appeal to the Palestinian President for de-escalation.

• After

  attacks

  in

  Jerusalem

  : Benjamin Netanyahu wants to crack down on "families of terrorists".

• This

  news ticker on the attacks in the Middle East

  is continuously updated.

Update from February 2, 6:48 a.m

.: Israel's army carried out new airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

At the same time, according to AFP reporters and eyewitnesses, rockets were fired from the Palestinian territory in the direction of Israel.

The Israeli army announced early in the morning that "the Gaza Strip is currently under attack."

According to information from Palestinian security circles, the airstrikes were aimed, among other things, at a training center of the military wing of the radical Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip.

Violence in the Middle East: Israel's military intercepts a rocket from the Gaza Strip

Update from February 1, 5:10 p.m

.: Israel's military says it has intercepted another rocket from the Gaza Strip.

Alarm sirens had been activated in the city of Sderot on the border with the Gaza Strip, the army said on Wednesday evening (local time).

According to media reports, eyewitnesses reported a loud explosion.

The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories had deteriorated dramatically in the past week.

After a deadly raid by the Israeli army in Jenin in the West Bank, militant Palestinians fired at least seven rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Friday night.

Israeli warplanes then destroyed, among other things, an underground missile production facility in the coastal enclave.

Update from February 1, 4 p.m.:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commented on the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East.

On the US broadcaster CNN, he stressed that peace talks with the Palestinians should not be "stopped".

Instead, he advocated a different approach.

The first thing to do is end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"I think that when the Arab-Israeli conflict comes to an end, then we will also return to the Palestinians and have a working peace with them," Netanyahu said.

In this context, he praised the so-called Abraham Accords, which he signed with several Arab states during the tenure of ex-US President Donald Trump.

Thus, diplomatic relations were restored between Israel and countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Israeli Prime Minister pointed to the success of these agreements.

"I bypassed the Palestinians, I went straight to the Arab countries and created a new concept of peace," he told CNN.

He spoke of a "historic peace agreement".

Israel repeatedly emphasizes that it wants to sign peace treaties with other Arab and Muslim countries.

Blinking for two-state solution: US Secretary of State warns against unilateral steps

Update from January 31, 5:55 p.m .:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke out on Tuesday against unilateral steps in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

At a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, Blinken reiterated that the US remains committed to the vision of a two-state solution in the region.

By this is meant the creation of an independent Palestinian state to exist peacefully alongside Israel.

Palestinian hope is gradually fading, Blinken said.

He announced the payment of an additional $50 million in aid from the UN Palestine Relief Agency.

Abbas accused Israel of being responsible for the recent escalation in violence.

He spoke of a lack of international support for the Palestinians given the ongoing Israeli occupation.

Middle East conflict: US Secretary of State condemns killing of 'innocent Palestinian civilians'

Update from January 31, 4:53 p.m .:

US Secretary of State Blinken has complained about the killing of “innocent Palestinian civilians” in the West Bank in the wake of the increase in Israeli-Palestinian violence over the past year.

After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken expressed his "condolences" and "sorrow for the innocent Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives to escalating violence."

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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday (January 31).

© Thaer Ganaim/Imago

Blinken also warned Israeli and Palestinian leaders against steps that would make a two-state solution more difficult.

Addressing the government in Israel, he said this includes "expanding settlements, legalizing outposts, demolitions and evictions."

The government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - the most right-wing government in Israel to date - is backing the Jewish settlers.

Israel has occupied the Palestinian West Bank since 1967. Around 475,000 Israelis live in the area in settlements whose construction, according to large parts of the international community, is contrary to international law.

Blinken meets Abbas: US Secretary of State promotes de-escalation

Update from January 31, 11:48 a.m .:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank today.

On the final stop of his Middle East trip, he wants to appeal to the Palestinian leadership for a de-escalation in the conflict with Israel.

Blinken is expected to urge the Palestinian Authority chief to continue working with Israel to contain attacks by militant Palestinians.

After the latest Israeli raid on the West Bank that left ten dead last week, Abbas announced that he would end security cooperation with Israel.

Before his meeting with Abbas, Blinken met with new Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday (January 31).

Gallant praised Blinken for his "steadfast support" in securing Israel's military superiority in the region.

Middle East conflict causes concern: Blinken calls for de-escalation in Jerusalem

Update from January 31, 7:20 a.m

.: The situation in the Middle East is extremely tense.

After US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are scheduled for Tuesday in Ramallah.

The US chief diplomat is trying to stop the growing wave of violence.

On Friday, an armed Palestinian killed seven people in front of a synagogue in East Jerusalem. Another attack followed on Saturday, in which a 13-year-old Palestinian in East Jerusalem seriously injured two Israelis.

Earlier on Thursday, ten Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in a raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank.

This Monday, Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank killed a Palestinian driver, officials from both sides said.

According to the Israeli army, the car had previously hit a soldier.

The 26-year-old died of "a gunshot wound to the head" inflicted by occupying soldiers "this morning in Hebron," the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

Since the beginning of the year, the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - including militants, civilians and several children - has risen to 35, according to a count by the AFP news agency.

Last year there were 172 – as many as last in 2006.

Middle East conflict causes concern: Blinken calls for de-escalation in Jerusalem

Update from January 30, 10:45 p.m .:

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for “urgent steps” during a visit to Israel to calm the situation after the recent escalation of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Blinken said on Monday in Jerusalem after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he called on all sides to take measures to "restore calm and de-escalate".

Blinken described his conversation with Netanyahu as "very open".

"We want to create an environment in which, I hope, we can eventually create the conditions for Israelis and Palestinians alike to regain a sense of security," the US Secretary of State said at a news conference.

According to Blinken, the talks with Netanyahu were also about Iran.

"We agree that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons," said the US chief diplomat.

Negotiations on a new edition of the international nuclear deal with Iran have been stuck for months.

The agreement, agreed in 2015, was intended to limit Iran's nuclear program and ensure that the country would not build nuclear weapons.

US Secretary of State Blinken in Jerusalem: Reports on drone attack in Iran

Update from January 30, 3:21 p.m

.: The reports come at the same time as Blinken’s visit to Israel: Tehran reported on Sunday (January 29) that it had repelled a drone attack on a military facility in Iran.

Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian spoke of a "cowardly act" with the aim of "making Iran more insecure".

Now

and The

are reporting that Israel could be behind the drone attack.

Both US newspapers refer to unnamed insiders.

At the request of the US broadcaster CNN, a spokesman for the US Department of Defense said: "We are monitoring the situation, but cannot provide any further information."

Meanwhile, upon his arrival in Israel, US Secretary of State Blinken called for de-escalation, as he had done in Egypt: "It is everyone's responsibility to take action to calm tensions, rather than fuel them." This is the only one way to stop the growing wave of violence "that has already claimed too many lives - too many Israelis and too many Palestinians."

After attacks in Jerusalem: US Secretary of State appeals for Middle East trip

Update from January 30, 1:16 p.m

.: Antony Blinken has now called on “all parties” in Cairo to “calm the situation and de-escalate the tensions”.

At the same time, the US Secretary of State emphasized the importance of "working towards a two-state solution" in view of the violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Egypt is an important mediator in the Middle East conflict.

After meeting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the country's foreign minister, Blinken travels to Israel and the West Bank.

Attacks in Jerusalem: Middle East conflict causes concern

First Breaking News on January 30

: Tel Aviv - Israel's government - the farthest right the country has ever had - has been in office for just a month.

Since then, the conflict with the Palestinians has once again dangerously escalated.

However, the wave of violence had already begun with a series of attacks during the tenure of the more liberal previous government.

After attacks in Jerusalem: Netanyahu wants to take action against "families of terrorists".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a "strong" and "swift" response to the attacks in East Jerusalem.

The security cabinet announced the following steps on Sunday night (January 29):

• "Family of terrorists who support terrorism" to remove welfare

• Discuss a bill that would allow family members to have their Israeli ID cards revoked.

• Easier access to guns for civilians.

Already on Sunday, the Israeli military sealed the house of the family of the assassin, who shot dead seven people and injured at least three in front of a synagogue on Friday evening, according to an AFP reporter.

Blinken's Delicate Journey: US Secretary of State Visits Israel and Palestinian Territories

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories starting Monday (January 30).

Talks with Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are on the agenda.

Blinken recently criticized the Israeli settlement policy in the occupied West Bank in clear terms.

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Picture taken on January 28th: ​​Israeli security forces stand guard in Jerusalem

© Ahmad Gharabli/AFP

Nuclear dispute with Iran: Blinken sees “all options on the table”

But not only the relations with the Palestinians, but also the topic of Iran should be in the center.

The US administration, headed by President Joe Biden, has not ruled out military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Blinken told Al-Arabija in an interview on Sunday that all options are on the table.

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When asked if that included a military option, Blinken didn't rule it out.

However, he also said that the preferred path is through diplomacy.

Just a few days ago, the United States completed a large-scale military exercise with Israel.

The background is growing concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

List of rubrics: © Abir Sultan/Pool EPA/AP/dpa