Blinken arrives in Middle East to discuss peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made his sixth visit to the Middle East since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants. It is noted that the diplomat has already met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reports Reuters.
Blinken and the prince discussed regional coordination to achieve an end to the crisis in Israel. During the negotiations, the U.S. Secretary of State emphasized the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip and preventing further escalation of the conflict.
The proposal for a ceasefire, conveyed to Hamas last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, is awaiting a response from the militants who say they want additional guarantees that it will end the four-month-long war.
A senior U.S. official told reporters during the flight to the capital of Saudi Arabia that the ball is now in Hamas's court: "Impossible to say if we’ll get a breakthrough, when we’ll get a breakthrough."
It is noted that Blinken also seeks to secure support for U.S. plans for what comes after the ceasefire: the reconstruction and governance of the Gaza Strip, the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the normalization of relations between Arab countries and Israel.
What preceded
Earlier, it was reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is preparing to visit Israel in the coming days. This will be his sixth visit since the start of the conflict between Tel Aviv and Hamas.
In early January, during a visit to Israel, Blinken expressed concern about "constant" reports of Israeli strikes hitting either humanitarian facilities or causing the death of a large number of civilians. At the same time, the U.S. and Israel established a negotiation channel to discuss the details of incidents in the Gaza Strip.
