Antony Blinken
Antony BlinkenREUTERS/Remo Casilli

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Thursday in New York with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a day after the US and France presented a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that, during the meeting, Blinken “discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on the 21 day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border proposed by the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar and a diplomatic settlement that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”

“He underscored that further escalation of the conflict will only make that objective more difficult,” added Miller.

“The Secretary also discussed ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of the hostages, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and set the conditions for an end to the war, and underscored that all parties must make the difficult decisions necessary to reach an agreement,” continued the State Department spokesperson.

“He further discussed steps Israel needs to take to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”

Earlier on Thursday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded to comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the US and France’s proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon.

“We would not have made the statement if we had doubts that the talks with the Israelis were positive,” Kirby stated.

“Netanyahu should be asked if he retracted his agreement. I can only say that, based on the conversations last night, we had every reason to believe that he was sincere in his intentions,” he added.

Kirby’s comments were made after Netanyahu, upon landing in New York ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly, told reporters, "My policy, our policy, is clear: we continue to strike Hezbollah with full force. We will not stop until we reach our goals and above all the return of the residents of the north to their homes. That is the policy, and may no one be mistaken."

Later on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement of clarification on the US-led proposal.

"Due to a lot of misreporting around the US-led ceasefire initiative, it is important to clarify a few points. Earlier this week, the United States shared with Israel its intention to put forward, together with other international and regional partners, a ceasefire proposal in Lebanon," the statement said.

"Israel shares the aims of the US-led initiative of enabling people along our northern border to return safely and securely to their homes. Israel appreciates the US efforts in this regard because the US role is indispensable in advancing stability and security in the region."

"Our teams met (Thursday, Sept. 26) to discuss the US initiative and how we can advance the shared goal of returning people safely to their homes. We will continue those discussions in the coming days," the statement concluded.