IRIA News

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on November 30, 2023, to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli War Cabinet. Blinken also visited Ramallah in West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

This was Blinken’s third trip to the Middle East since Hamas carried out an attack on Israel on October 7. Israeli forces have been conducting intense bombing of Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks. The war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in more than 16,000 deaths on both sides. Israel lost 1,200 people in the October 7 attack, while the month-long Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 15,000 Palestinians in Gaza.  

Israel’s intense attacks on Gaza came to a temporary halt 7 days ago when a truce was signed between the two sides.        

“Looking at the next couple of days, we’ll be focused on, doing what we can to extend the pause so that we continue to get more hostages out and more humanitarian assistance in,” Blinken said at a news conference in Brussels before departing. He was in Brussels to attend NATO’s ministerial-level meeting.

During his meeting with Israeli leaders, Blinken discussed extending Israel’s temporary truce with Hamas’s militants and boosting humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. However, the U.S. top diplomat did not advocate for a long-term ceasefire, which the Arab and Muslim leaders are actively demanding.

Israeli Minister @yairlapid and I discussed continuing efforts to protect civilians during Israel’s operations and the need to address rising levels of extremist settler violence in the West Bank against Palestinian civilians – to include holding perpetrators accountable. pic.twitter.com/ztvAZYTxcJ

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 30, 2023

According to the U.S. State Department, Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages. They also spoke about the need to accelerate the delivery of critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

The Secretary stressed the imperative of accounting for humanitarian and civilian protection needs in southern Gaza before any military operations there and urged immediate steps to hold settler extremists accountable for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. He reiterated that the United States remains committed to tangible steps to advance a Palestinian state living in peace, freedom, and security alongside Israel.

Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza by bombing the tiny and densely populated region. In a statement following the meeting, Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to wiping out Hamas from Gaza. Health authorities in Gaza say Israel’s bombardment has so far killed more than 15,000 people, with at least 5,300 children.

Meeting with the Palestinian President

Blinken and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met in the West Bank to discuss the “urgent need for measures to improve the security and freedom of Palestinians in the West Bank,” according to a U.S. State Department’s readout.

Blinken highlighted the U.S.’s efforts to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and condemned Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, which has increased significantly since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Blinken told Abbas that the U.S. “would continue to insist on full accountability for those responsible,” the State Department said. “The secretary reiterated that the United States remains committed to advancing tangible steps for a Palestinian state,” the readout added.

Following the mounting casualties in Gaza the U.S. has increased its diplomatic efforts with Arab leaders, who have grown increasingly frustrated by the worsening humanitarian situation in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Trip to Turkey and UAE

After meeting with Abbas, Blinken immediately set off for Turkey to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been one of the most prominent opposition against the Israeli attack in Gaza outside the Arab world.

Turkey had been on course to establish ties with Israel before it attacked Gaza. Their ties seem to deteriorate due to Erdogan’s fierce pro-Palestine stance and admonishment of Israel’s war-time conduct.

Blinken is set to travel to Dubai after concluding his visit to Turkey, where he will attend the UN COP28 climate summit.