US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's farewell speech on Tuesday (Jan 15) was disrupted by protesters who shouted and heckled at him, calling him "Bloody Blinken".
Blinken during his speech was laying out a proposal for the effective management of the war-torn Gaza Strip post the war.
He said that Joe Biden's outgoing administration will hand over the strategical roadmap to President-elect Donald Trump’s team to pick up if a ceasefire deal is reached.
Blinken's speech was interrupted by a protester who accused Joe Biden and his administration of ‘genocide’ committed by Israel against Palestine in the ongoing war.
“You will forever be known as bloody Blinken, secretary of genocide. The blood of innocent civilians, of children is on your hands," she can be heard shouting in the video that has been doing rounds on social media.
"Secretary of genocide"
— WION (@WIONews) January 15, 2025
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heckled during a speech on Gaza's post-war management; protesters say 'you will forever be known as bloody Blinken'
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.#IsraelHamasWar #AntonyBlinken pic.twitter.com/zLG4OP2fCL
Then Blinken, keeping his cool, asked the protester to let her share her views, and said that he respects her opinion about the ongoing situation in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“So we continue,” he said, as the protester was removed from the venue.
Blinken calls for 'another path' in the region
The US Secretary of State called for “another path" in the region that is away from war and violence.
“For many months, we’ve been working intensely with our partners to develop a detailed post-conflict plan that would allow Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, prevent Hamas from filling back in, and provide for Gaza’s governance, security and reconstruction," Blinken said.
Biden says Gaza ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel 'on the brink' of being finalised
Meanwhile, outgoing US President Joe Biden on Monday said that a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas was nearing completion.
Speaking at the State Department, Biden said, “In the war between Israel and Hamas, we're on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition.”
House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan too echoed Biden's sentiment earlier in the day, suggesting a truce could be sealed within days. “I'm not making a promise or prediction, but it is there for the taking and we are going to work to make it happen,” Sullivan told reporters.
A Palestinian official close to Hamas also acknowledged that the current negotiations are the most “serious and deep” to date.
“The current round of negotiations is the most serious and deep and has made significant progress,” the official told AFP.
(With inputs from agencies)