U.S. Secretary of State Blinken lands in Israel. To express Washington’s support for Israel following the assaults by Palestinian Hamas terrorists and to seek to stop the situation from escalating, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of a Middle East visit.
Blinken will also work to progress discussions with Israelis and Egyptians on ensuring a safe passage for people in Gaza out of the enclave before a potential Israeli ground attack. Hostages held by Hamas, some of whom are Americans, are being held captive. Blinken will go to Jordan after Israel to meet with King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.
Blinken’s journey occurs as Israel launches the most robust bombing campaign in the struggle with the Palestinians that has lasted for seventy-five years, pledging to wipe out the Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip as retaliation for the assaults.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza to prevent food and fuel supplies from reaching the 2.3 million residents there. Under the condition of anonymity, a senior official with the State Department told reporters that Washington was attempting to expedite negotiations for a safe exit for people in Gaza, including Americans.
Gaza is home to a community of between 500–600 Palestinian Americans. Some of those want to go, and we are organizing safe passage, the official added. The person stated that the U.S. is “intensively” in contact with the Israeli and Egyptian administrations to make those arrangements.
To discourage Iran and any Iranian-backed organizations from joining the battle will be another top objective for Blinken.
“We’re very intent on demonstrating through this visit and through the onward visits that we’re committed to keeping other parties out of this conflict,” according to the official.
The deployment of American warships and planes closer to Israel should be taken as a warning to Iran, which supports Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah organization, according to U.S. President Joe Biden, who addressed Jewish community leaders in Washington on Wednesday.
“We made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful,” added Vice President Biden.
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