WASHINGTON DC, United States
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading again to the Middle East, making his 11th trip to the region since the war in Gaza erupted last year and as Israel steps up attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The StateDepartment said
Blinken would depart Monday for a weeklong trip to Israel and a number of Arab
countries on a visit that also comes as Israel weighs retaliation against Iran
for a ballistic missile attack earlier this month. His other stops are likely
to include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, officials
say.
The trip had been expected
after President Joe Biden said last week he would dispatch Blinken to the
region following Israel’s killing of Hamas military chief Yahya Sinwar, a move
that some believe could open a window for new talks on a ceasefire proposal
that has been languishing for months.
In Israel on Tuesday, Blinken
will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog,
according to Israeli officials.
“Secretary Blinken 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,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
In the region, Blinken will
discuss planning for when the conflict ends and “the need to chart a new path
forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives,” Miller added.
He said Blinken also would
underscore the need for a dramatic increase in the amount of humanitarian aid
reaching Gaza, something that Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made
clear in a letter to Israeli officials last week.
That letter reminded Israel
that the Biden administration could be forced by US law to curtail some forms
of military aid should the delivery of humanitarian assistance continue to be
hindered.
In addition to the conflict in
Gaza, Blinken will also raise the importance the administration places on
reaching a diplomatic resolution to the escalating conflict between Israel and
Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and elsewhere.
“He will reaffirm the US
commitment to work with partners across the region to de-escalate tensions and
provide lasting stability,” Miller said in the statement.
Since the Hamas attacks in
Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the Israeli response, Blinken has traveled to the
Middle East 10 other times seeking an end to the crisis. His previous trips
have yielded little in the way of ending hostilities, but he has managed to
increase aid deliveries to Gaza in the past.
Since just last month, the
situation has grown increasingly tense, sparking renewed fears of a wider
regional war, particularly since Israel began ground operations in Lebanon
against Hezbollah and killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah in a massive airstrike
in the Beirut suburbs.
Iran has responded to Israeli
attacks against its proxies with ballistic missile launches, the latest of
which Israel has yet to retaliate for. Biden administration officials have
cautioned Israel about its planned retaliation and believe they have won assurances
from Israeli leaders that they will not hit nuclear or oil facilities.
However, Netanyahu has said
repeatedly that while Israel will listen to American advice, his country will
act in its own national interest. And previous US warnings about escalation
have gone unheeded.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden
was “deeply concerned” about the unauthorized release of classified documents
on Israel’s preparation for a potential retaliatory attack on Iran, White House
national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. US officials said an
investigation is underway.
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