Part 5/10:
Blinken stressed that the US had no prior knowledge of Israel's operations in Lebanon but acknowledged that such surprises threaten to derail ongoing peace talks. While 15 of 18 key points in a proposed ceasefire deal are agreed upon, disagreements persist—particularly over the strategic Philadelphia corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border. Egypt and Hamas oppose Israeli control of this area, which Prime Minister Netanyahu insists is non-negotiable.