In hopes of a ceasefire, Secretary of State Andrew Blinken starts his Middle East tour for his eleventh round since the war in Gaza began.
Blinken’s visit to the Middle East comes as Israel has ramped up its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Secretary of State departed for the Middle East on Monday and went to Israel on Tuesday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. According to officials, Blinken is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement, “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.”
In a letter to Israel last week, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the importance of drastically increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza. According to the AP, The letter also mentioned that the Biden administration could choose to decrease military support to Israel should Gaza not see an increase in aid.
Throughout his tour in the Middle East, Blinken will not only focus on the Gaza war. Blinken is expected to host several conversations about de-escalating the tensions between Israel and Lebanon, as well.
“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.
While Blinken’s ten previous Middle East tours have yielded little fruit, the Secretary of State hopes his visit might help achieve peace in the region. In previous visits, Blinken increased the delivery of aid supplies to Gaza.
Over September and October, tensions have only increased between Israel and Gaza as well as between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel fatally targeted Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut’s suburbs.
Tensions have also increased between Iran and Israel. In response to attacks on Hezbollah, Iran has sent ballistic missiles towards Israel. While Israel has not responded to the missile launches yet, the possibility remains for a fight between the two nations as tensions increase.
The Biden administration has warned Israel against retaliation, and they believe they have received assurances that Israel, at the very least, will not target nuclear facilities in the country.
President Biden has expressed concern over a potential retaliation against Iran from Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly said he will listen to advice from the United States but will ultimately act in Israel’s best interests. This has been proven true, as Israel has disregarded America’s advice on numerous occasions throughout the past year.…Read more by Christopher Gomez
