Of the roughly 240 people kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack on Israel, some 110 have been returned. During the humanitarian truce that came into force on November 24, at least 10 hostages were released every day. But hopes that the remaining prisoners would be freed in the coming days were dashed when fighting resumed on December 1.
“We remain intensely focused on getting everyone home, getting hostages back,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the truce broke. “We’re also very much focused, as we’ve been all along, on trying to make sure that this conflict doesn’t spread, that it doesn’t escalate in other places.”
Indeed, that is one of three major concerns going forward, said United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield:
“In particular, the United States does not want to see conflict in Lebanon, where escalation would have grave implications for regional peace and security, and for the well-being of the Lebanese people. Restoring calm along the Israel-Lebanon border is of utmost importance.”
“Second, we are deeply troubled by the sharp rise in violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
“Extremists that attack civilians in the West Bank must be held accountable, and this violence must stop. And President Biden has made clear that the United States is prepared to take action, including by issuing visa bans against these extremists. We strongly oppose the advancement of settlements in the West Bank, which undermines the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.”
“Third, we call on all parties in the region and people around the world to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that exacerbates tensions and hate,” she said.
“That includes dehumanizing language. Over the past two months, we have seen a spike in antisemitism and Islamophobia. We see this playing out online across social media, and we also see it in our communities, where hate begets violence.”
“Even as we focus on the immediate task before us, we must look forward to a better future,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “We need a two-state solution, where Gaza and the West Bank are reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority. This is the only guarantor of a secure and democratic Israel. This is the only guarantor of Palestinians realizing their legitimate aspirations to a state of their own. This is the only way to end this cycle of violence once and for all.”
