Smoke billows after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Tyre, southern Lebanon, October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
Blinken urges halt to Middle East conflict as Israel bombs historic Lebanese port city | CBC News LoadedU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed on Wednesday for a halt to fighting between Israel and militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, but heavy Israeli airstrikes on a large historic Lebanese port city demonstrated that there was no respite.·Smoke billows after an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday. U.S.
The port is typically a bustling hub for the south — with fishermen, tourists and even UN peacekeepers on a break from deployments near the border spending time there by the sea. But Israel's evacuation orders for the city this week have for the first time encompassed swaths of it, including right up to its ancient castle.
The trip is the last major U.S. peace push before a Nov. 5 presidential election between Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, which could upend U.S. policy in the region. "Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success," he told reporters as he prepared to leave for Saudi Arabia on the next stage of his regional tour. "The focus needs to be on getting the hostages home, ending this war and having a clear plan for what follows."
Blinken said new formulations were being examined in an effort to win freedom for Israeli hostages held in Gaza and bring an end to the war. Diplomats say Israel is pressing its military advantage to lock in a strong position before a new U.S. administration takes office following the Nov. 5 election.
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