A representative for top US diplomat Antony Blinken revealed Tuesday that he will launch a fresh Middle East trip this week, as President Joe Biden seeks “urgent mechanisms” to reduce regional tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Secretary Blinken will travel to Israel on Friday for meetings with members of the Israeli government and then will make other stops in the region,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, without further details.
Later, the White House announced that Biden had spoken with the leader of crucial US ally Jordan, which Blinken has visited several times since Hamas launched its October 7 onslaught on Israel.
Biden and King Abdullah II “discussed urgent mechanisms to stem violence, calm rhetoric, and reduce regional tensions,” a White House statement said.
It added that the two leaders “agreed that it is critical to ensure that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza” and that Biden had “confirmed unwavering US support for Jordan and His Majesty’s leadership.”
According to Israeli officials, the shocking cross-border attack by Hamas militants killed at over 1,400 people, while more than 230 people, including several American citizens, were taken prisoner.
According to the Gaza health ministry, Israel’s retaliatory shelling has killed over 8,500 Palestinians, causing considerable outrage in the region and fueling fears that Gazan refugees will cross the border into Egypt as refugees.
Blinken came to Israel days after the unexpected attack by Hamas militants to convey US support and to plan a response.
A lengthy session of shuttle diplomacy throughout the region followed, with the US diplomat stopping in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Israel.
During Biden’s one-day visit to Tel Aviv on October 18, he accompanied him to meetings with Israeli government officials and victims.
The United States is Israel’s most ardent supporter, offering significant military assistance.
Blinken also called with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday to underscore the United States’ support for Israel’s right to self-defense and to urge the country to “take feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians,” the State Department’s Miller said in a separate statement.
Biden has requested Congress to pass additional funding for Israel as well as Ukraine.
Blinken was at the US Capitol on Tuesday to defend the budget request, but the Senate session was repeatedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors, some of whom yelled “Ceasefire now,” “Palestinians are not animals,” and “Shame on you all” before being escorted out.
Blinken also pondered what would happen after the present battle, suggesting the Palestinian Authority should regain control of the Gaza Strip from Hamas, which has dominated the territory since 2007.