US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on November 5 – a notable event during his second visit to the Middle East since the conflict began between Israel and the armed group Hamas. Released on 7 October. ,
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that at the meeting, Mr Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the resumption of humanitarian assistance and essential services in the Gaza Strip. President Abbas and Secretary of State Blinken also discussed efforts to restore stability in the West Bank.
After the above meeting, Mr. Blinken went to Turkey to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip. Mr Blinken is scheduled to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on November 6 to exchange views on relations and regional issues, according to Anadolu news agency.
According to the US State Department, during the visit, Mr Blinken will emphasize the importance of protecting civilian life in both Israel and the Gaza Strip, as well as discuss Washington’s commitment to increasing humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (right) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the West Bank city of Ramallah on November 5 Photo: Reuters
Earlier, on November 4, Turkey had recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations on the crisis in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s refusal to call for a ceasefire. The same day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had severed contacts with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel immediately reacted strongly when Mr Erdogan was criticized for favoring Hamas.
Israel and Jordan are the first two stops in this Middle East visit of the US Secretary of State. In the capital Amman on November 4, Mr Blinken held talks with representatives of the host country Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Palestine.
according to page GuardianThe results of the meeting showed that America and its Arab allies appeared divided on the issue of ceasefire in Gaza Strip. In particular, Arab countries urged an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and called on Mr Blinken to persuade Israel to accept the move.
Furthermore, Arab countries also refuse to discuss in depth the future of the Gaza Strip once Hamas no longer controls the place. Instead, they want to focus more on calling for an immediate ceasefire, providing humanitarian assistance and efforts to end the dangerous escalation that threatens regional security.
One concern at present is the danger of conflict spreading in the region. According to Reuters, both Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Iraqi Shia militias backed by Iran have launched attacks against Israel since October 7. Shia militias in Iraq also fired on US forces in Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, Mr Blinken said a ceasefire now would only benefit Hamas as the group would be allowed to regroup and attack Israel again. According to the US Secretary of State, the firing should only be stopped temporarily for humanitarian purposes and he discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 3 November. The leader confirmed that he would not accept a humanitarian ceasefire if Hamas did not release hostages captured in the October 7 attack.
US officials said the country is asking Israel to agree to halt attacks on specific locations to allow aid to be delivered safely inside the Gaza Strip. However, Israel now fears that Hamas will use these pauses to regroup.
