US Secretary of State Blinken travels to Israel again
US Secretary of State Blinken plans to visit Israel and the West Bank again this week to discuss the Gaza war and the situation of hostages taken by the terrorist organization Hamas.
He will also address Israel's right of self-defense and discuss the protection of civilians during the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in Washington. Blinken also wanted to discuss further steps towards the establishment of a Palestinian state and the need to prevent the conflict from spreading.
His ministry did not say when Blinken would arrive in the Middle East region. The USA is an ally of Israel, which has launched a ground offensive against the organization in the Gaza Strip following the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on 7 October. It would be Blinken's third visit since the start of the conflict. A ceasefire had been in place since Friday, during which hostages taken to the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners from Israel were exchanged. The ceasefire was extended until Thursday.
According to his ministry, Blinken will be at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Belgium until Wednesday and will then travel to North Macedonia for a meeting with colleagues from the member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The visit to the Middle East is expected to take place afterwards.
Blinken's discussions in Israel and the West Bank include addressing the escalating conflicts in the Gaza war, caused by the terrorist organization Hamas. The international community is urgently seeking to prevent any flashing points in this region, especially with tensions still high following the recent war.
Source: www.dpa.com
