The Washington Post quoted an American official on Wednesday as saying that Washington informed Tel Aviv that there is a belief that Israel is seeking to isolate northern Gaza, while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that he discussed with the Israelis charting the path to peace and the importance of delivering aid to the Strip and ending the war.

The Washington Post reported, quoting a US State Department official, that Washington informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there is a belief that Israel is seeking to isolate northern Gaza, and that the US administration believes that Israel's strategy is to threaten the residents of northern Gaza that they will become targets.

The newspaper pointed out that Washington asked Netanyahu to declare his position, "but he refused to make this commitment," as he and his main aide responded that this was not their policy at all, according to the newspaper.

Blinken's meetings

Blinken said that he discussed with Netanyahu "charting the path to lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians," stressing that he stressed in Israel the importance of delivering aid to Gaza and ending the war in a way that provides lasting security and stability.

CNN quoted a senior US administration official as saying that Blinken directly asked Netanyahu whether he was adopting a plan to kill and starve in Gaza, noting that Netanyahu pledged to Blinken that his government would not adopt what is known as the "generals' plan."

The US State Department also said that Secretary Blinken discussed with Israeli President Isaac Herzog ongoing efforts to calm tensions in the region, noting that Blinken "stressed the importance of ending the war in a way that ensures the release of the hostages and creates conditions for broader regional stability."

For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that Anthony Blinken "told the families of the hostages that work was underway to conclude a limited deal to test the existence of another party to negotiate," while Haaretz newspaper said that "the families of American hostages in Gaza met with Blinken and called on him to pressure for the release of their sons."

This comes after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday, Tuesday, on his 11th visit since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza, at a time when there are continuing demands within Israel for the government to conclude a deal to return prisoners from the Gaza Strip.

Source: Al Jazeera + American press + Israeli press