Blinken, Arab leaders discuss Israeli war on Gaza amid wider conflict fears
Blinken stressed Washington's commitment to "securing lasting regional peace that ensures Israel's security and advances the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says in a statement.
Blinken visited Jordan and Qatar on Sunday, and sought to reassure Arab officials that the United States opposes the displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza. / Photo: AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was holding more talks with Arab leaders as part of a diplomatic push to stop the Israeli war on Gaza from spreading further.
Blinken met the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the United Arab Emirates and was due later on Monday to hold talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the oasis town of Al Ula before heading on to Israel.
Blinken stressed to Sheikh Mohammed Washington's commitment to "securing lasting regional peace that ensures Israel's security and advances the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The two also discussed the importance of ending the conflict in Sudan, Miller said.
I met with Emirati President @MohamedBinZayed in Abu Dhabi today to discuss efforts to prevent the conflict in the region from widening and address humanitarian needs in Gaza. I underscored our continued commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. pic.twitter.com/gujTpSNmvW
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 8, 2024
Blinken visited Jordan and Qatar on Sunday, and sought to reassure Arab officials that the United States opposes the displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza, and instead wants Israel's Muslim-majority neighbours to play a role in Gaza's future governance.
Blinken is making his fourth trip to the region since Hamas gunmen from Gaza attacked southern Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to launch its military offensive against the Palestinians in the coastal enclave.
The United States and the United Arab Emirates share a strategic partnership in the region and beyond. @SecBlinken is in Abu Dhabi to discuss efforts to prevent the conflict in the region from escalating and our work to achieve lasting peace.
— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) January 8, 2024
Regional tensions
He is asking states to try to reduce tensions that have already sparked violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and led to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.
Blinken has been joined by US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking as Washington seeks to garner regional support for actions to counter the attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on commercial shipping.
Blinken said in Qatar on Sunday that the attacks had disrupted or diverted nearly 20 percent of global shipping and would make goods including food and fuel more expensive.
"These attacks by the Houthis are hurting people around the world – most of all, the poorest and most vulnerable populations, including in Yemen, including in Gaza," Blinken said.
The US has struck Houthi vessels and gathered an international coalition of more than 20 countries to participate in efforts to safeguard ships in Red Sea waters near Yemen, much of which is controlled by the Houthis.
The Houthi attacks and the Western response have put new strains on a ceasefire and peace talks that have largely quelled fighting in Yemen more than eight years after a Saudi-led coalition intervened against the Houthi movement.
Blinken is set to end the day in Israel, where he will meet officials on Tuesday.
He said on Sunday he would raise with Israeli officials the importance of protecting civilians in Gaza and repeated Washington’s objection to comments from right-wing members of Israel's ruling coalition calling for the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza.
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