U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel this week as part of his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israelis' war with Hamas…
Tensions between the U.S. and Israel over the prosecution of the Gaza war have been mounting for months over rising civilian casualties.The visit comes amid a flurry of calls, planned trips by U.S. and Israeli officials and public airings of severe disagreements over the state of the conflict — notably Israeli plans to mount a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and what will happen to Gaza after the war ends.
His first two visits were largely focused on re-affirming U.S. support for Israel in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks, but as civilian Palestinian casualties began to multiply and humanitarian conditions in Gaza deteriorated, his emphasis shifted to boosting humanitarian assistance and protecting innocents.
In a phone call with Biden on Monday, their first in more than a month, Netanyahu agreed to send a high-level delegation to Washington to discuss plans for the proposed Rafah operation, and the Pentagon said Tuesday that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant would visit the U.S. capital next week. Blinken and Prince Faisal “discussed the urgent need to protect all civilians in Gaza and immediately increase humanitarian assistance to those in need,” the State Department said, adding that “resolving the conflict” and “preparing for the post-conflict phase” remain a top priority.
In Cairo on Thursday, Blinken will see Egyptian officials as well as meet with a six-member Arab committee that includes foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco and the Palestinian Authority, according to an Egyptian diplomat.
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Blinken adds Israel stop to latest Mideast tour as tensions rise over Gaza warU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel this week as part of his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since Israel's war with Hamas began in October.
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Blinken adds Israel stop to latest Mideast tour as tensions rise over Gaza warU.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Israel this week as part of his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East.
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