This week, Blinken keeps pushing for Israel-Gaza ceasefire. Ukrainian president Voldymdymyr Zelenskyy discusses issues related to the possibility of peace. Thousands of Pakistanis demonstrate for peace against Taliban attacks.
Blinken keeps pushing for Israel-Gaza ceasefire
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is continuing to push for a ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Blinken visited Israel this week, saying that he was “looking at new frameworks of formulations and possibility,” The New York Times reported. A US senior official said Blinken was referring to the chance of Israel briefly pausing its Gaza offensive in exchange for the return of a small number of hostages.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials say that Israel and Egypt recently discussed the possibility of a week-and-a-half-long ceasefire in exchange for some of the remaining 101 hostages still held in captivity by Hamas and its allies. Many of these hostages are presumed dead.
Regarding Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, Blinken told Israeli leaders that “much more needs to be done” to get humanitarian aid to civilians in besieged northern Gaza, BBC reported. This was part of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and senior military officials in a series of meetings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Blinken visited Israel before heading to Saudi Arabia, and he will also visit Qatar and the UK. He will discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, according to a press statement from the US department of state.
Ukrainian president discusses issues related to possibility of peace
Ukrainian President Voldymdymyr Zelenskyy this week brought up issues related to the possibility of peace. One issue, he said, is Russia’s aerial strikes on Ukrainian energy targets and cargo ships.
Zelenskyy said that Russia ending these strikes could lead to peace negotiations. Zelenskyy told journalists that, “when it comes to energy and freedom of navigation, getting a result on these points would be a signal that Russia may be ready to end the war,” Financial Times reported.
Zelenskyy has also said that he hopes Ukraine will join NATO after the US elections. He said, “After the election, we hope for a more positive reaction from the United States. Not because of the change of the president, but simply because the focus, the attention of the United States is now on the elections,” AFP reported.
Thousands of Pakistanis demonstrate for peace against Taliban attacks
Thousands of Pakistanis demonstrated for peace on October 21 in the city of Bannu, located in the country’s northwestern region. A video by Radio Free Europe shows the demonstrators rallying against Pakistani Taliban terror attacks, as well as heavy security crackdowns in the region.
The rally comes after several Taliban attacks in Bannu this year, with the most recent attack occuring last week. The attack, which killed four officers, was carried out just hours after funeral prayers were held for Police Head Constable Shaista Khan, who had been killed in an attack earlier in the day.
Since its inception as a free state in 1947, Pakistan has been marred by a number of deadly conflicts. These included territorial conflicts with India and Afghanistan, secessionist movements in the Balochistan province bordering Iran, ethno-political conflict among the various ethnic groups, sectarianism and the civil-military rift. Last year, academic Shabir Hussain wrote for Peace News about how media can reduce conflict in Pakistan. To learn more, read here.
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is a journalist in Bangkok. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
