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US pushes for Middle East cease-fire ahead of Election Day

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards a plane, en route to the Middle East, as he departs Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., October 21, 2024.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards a plane, en route to the Middle East, as he departs Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., October 21, 2024.

REUTERS/Nathan Howard
John Haltiwanger
By John HaltiwangerOctober 21, 2024
John Haltiwanger
John Haltiwanger is an award-winning journalist who covers US politics and foreign policy, and all things geopolitics. He has reported all over the US and the world, covering issues ranging from wars to refugee crises. He's currently a Senior Writer at GZERO Media, but previously reported for Business Insider and Newsweek. He has a master's in international relations from the Univ. of Glasgow and a BA in history from St. Mary's College of Maryland.
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With exactly two weeks before Election Day in the US, the Biden administration is pushing for cease-fires in Israel’s wars with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

US envoy Amos Hochstein visited Beirut on Monday as part of this effort. Hochstein said that both sides “simply committing” to UN resolution 1701, a peace agreement that followed the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, “is not enough” and called for a formula “that brings an end to this conflict once and for all.”

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is en route to Israel, where he is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday as part of a renewed push for a Gaza cease-fire.

While achieving a cease-fire on either front could potentially boost Kamala Harris’s campaign, the likelihood of this happening before Nov. 5 appears slim. The US and other international negotiators have pushed for a cease-fire for months, without luck.

Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Lebanon and Gaza over the weekend, and the region is still bracing for Israel’s response to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attack.

We’ll be watching to see if the US can make any progress, but recent history suggests it will be an uphill battle.

middle east lebanon gaza hamas hezbollah palestine israel

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