US Secretary of State Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia for Gaza ceasefire talks and will also visit Israel. He plans to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discuss negotiations to secure the release of hostages and aid for Gaza. Blinken will also visit Egypt in his efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Saudi Arabia Wednesday as part of a regional tour to discuss efforts to secure a Gaza truce that includes a stop in Israel.
The US top diplomat touched down in Jeddah where he was expected to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said an AFP journalist on board.
The kingdom marks the first stop on Blinken’s sixth Middle East tour since the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7.
Blinken is due to travel on Thursday to Egypt, which borders Gaza and has been involved in previous mediation efforts.
The following day he will head to Israel in a previously unscheduled visit that comes amid strained ties between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced the Israel visit as Blinken landed in Saudi Arabia.
The top diplomat will discuss with Israeli officials “the ongoing negotiations to secure the release of all hostages” and efforts to boost aid deliveries to Gaza, Miller said.
Washington has supported Israel with billions of dollars in military aid since the October 7 Hamas attack, but has become increasingly frustrated by its ally’s failure to curb civilian deaths or let in vital aid.
Another major area of concern for the US has been the fate of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip.
Biden has put pressure on Netanyahu to pull back from a threatened full-scale ground operation on the tiny area which hosts around 1.5 million people, most of them displaced from elsewhere in the territory.
In Jeddah and Cairo, Blinken will discuss efforts to reach an “immediate ceasefire agreement that secures the release of all remaining hostages,” Miller had said on Tuesday.
Blinken will also discuss “post-conflict planning for Gaza” with Saudi and Egyptian officials, Miller said.
He will discuss “a political path for the Palestinian people with security assurances with Israel, and an architecture for lasting peace and security in the region,” the spokesman added.
On Tuesday, Blinken said everyone in Gaza was now suffering “severe levels of acute food insecurity”.
“That’s the first time an entire population has been so classified,” he said during a visit to the Philippines.
The United States is also striving to broker an eventual normalisation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which would entail American security guarantees for the kingdom, Blinken’s entourage told AFP.
Today, the world turns its attention to the Middle East as U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrives in Saudi Arabia for crucial discussions regarding the ongoing situation in Gaza. This diplomatic mission takes place ahead of his planned visit to Israel, emphasizing the urgency and complexity of the current geopolitical landscape. As Blinken engages in dialogue with regional leaders, the international community awaits potential breakthroughs that could pave the way for sustained peace efforts. The discussions in Saudi Arabia hold the promise of fostering a productive environment for advancing critical Gaza talks, underlining the significance of multilateral diplomacy in addressing regional conflicts. In the pursuit of sustainable peace and stability, Blinken’s visit underscores the interconnectedness of global partnerships and the need for effective dialogue to navigate complex geopolitical challenges.
Source: ARY NEWS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia for discussions on Gaza truce and a subsequent visit to Israel. The visit aims to address strained ties between the US and Israel, military aid, civilian deaths, and aid deliveries to Gaza. Blinken will also focus on efforts to secure a ceasefire and post-conflict planning for Gaza, along with discussions on a political path for the Palestinian people and lasting peace and security in the region. Additionally, the US is working towards brokering a normalisation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, including American security guarantees for the kingdom.
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