“This is a time of deep tension for the region. This is a conflict that could easily spread and cause more insecurity and suffering,” Blinken said at a news conference in Doha. He was in Jordan and Qatar on Sunday before heading to the UAE for talks on Monday. He will then visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani hold a joint press conference in Doha, Qatar on January 7, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Mr Blinken, at the start of a five-day trip to the region, also sought to assure Arab leaders that the US opposes the forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank.
King Abdullah of Jordan called on Mr Blinken to use Washington's influence with Israel to press for an immediate ceasefire, warning of the "catastrophic consequences" of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
Despite global concern over the death and destruction in Gaza and widespread calls for a ceasefire, Israel remains determined to continue its campaign to destroy the Hamas group in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday: "The war must not stop until we achieve all our goals, such as eliminating Hamas, returning all hostages and ensuring that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel."
The Israeli offensive has so far killed 22,835 Palestinians in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said, after adding 111 dead and 250 wounded to the toll in the past 24 hours.
The war has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and left them facing a dire humanitarian crisis. “We hope that… Blinken will look at us with compassion, end the war, end the misery we are living,” said Um Mohamad Al-Arqan, a resident of Gaza.
Bui Huy (according to Reuters, CNN, CNA)
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