On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued his diplomatic efforts to prevent the Gaza War from getting worse by meeting with leaders of the Arab world.
Blinken first met Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Later on Monday, he was scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi Arabian oasis town of Al Ula before continuing on to Israel.
Washington is committed to “securing lasting regional peace that ensures Israel’s security and advances the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” as Blinken emphasized to Sheikh Mohammed, according to a statement from State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller.
Miller stated that the two also talked about how critical it is to put a stop to the fighting in Sudan.
During his Sunday visit to Jordan and Qatar, Blinken aimed to reassure Arab rulers that the US rejects the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and prefers that Israel’s neighbors with a majority of Muslims have part in the future government of the Strip.
Blinken is visiting the area for the fourth time since October 7, when gunmen from Hamas in Gaza attacked southern Israel, forcing Israel to begin an armed campaign against the Palestinian faction residing in the coastal enclave.
He is pleading with states to make an effort to ease tensions that have already resulted in violence in the West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, as well as Houthi attacks on maritime lines in the Red Sea.
