Israel Outside Blinken's hotel: protesters demand pressure for hostage deal
During Antony Blinken's visit to Israel, hundreds of people demonstrated outside the US Secretary of State's hotel for an agreement on the release of Israeli hostages held by Islamist Hamas. Blinken was meeting with relatives of the abductees at the time. The demonstrators called on Blinken to exert pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu's government to agree to a hostage deal.
19.08.2024, 18:56
SDA
At a meeting with Israeli President Izchak Herzog in Tel Aviv in the morning, Blinken said: "This is a crucial moment, probably the best, perhaps the last opportunity to bring the hostages home, to reach a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to lasting peace and security."
Blinken met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem in the afternoon. According to Israeli media reports, the meeting lasted three hours. It is Blinken's ninth visit to Israel since the start of the Gaza war more than ten months ago. According to the US State Department, he will remain in the region until Tuesday and will travel on from Israel to Egypt.
