Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has opened his third day of meetings on an urgent diplomatic mission in the Middle East to prevent Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza from exploding into a wider regional conflict.
Blinken met with United Arab Emirates leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Monday before traveling to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aiming to engage key Arab leaders in an effort to not only to keep the war within limits, but also to prepare for the post-war. conflict over the future of Gaza.
With Sheikh Mohammed in Abu Dhabi Blinken “stressed the importance of preventing further spread of the conflict and underscored the continued US commitment to securing a lasting regional peace that guarantees Israel's security and promotes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Blinken arrived in Abu Dhabi after similar meetings in Qatar, Jordan, Turkey and Greece, where he claimed at least modest success in his mission with promises from those countries to consider contributing to efforts to plan for reconstruction and the administration of Gaza once the fighting ends. . Gaza has been decimated by three months of Israeli bombing that has sparked outrage around the world due to the massive damage and high number of civilian casualties.
Financial and in-kind support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia will be essential to the success of such a plan, and US officials said Blinken, on his fourth trip to the region since the war began in October, hoped to quell initial Arab resistance against considering “day of war” to overcome. after” scenarios for Gaza. Arab countries have urged an immediate ceasefire and an end to civilian deaths before discussing such plans.
But after his initial meetings during his latest tour, Blinken said he had spoken to officials about contributions they could make to postwar plans and about using their influence to quell resurgent fears that the conflict could expand and possibly have direct US involvement could pick up. .
“This is a conflict that could easily metastasize and cause even more uncertainty and even more suffering,” Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference in Doha with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
“So from day one, among other priorities, we have been intensely focused on preventing the conflict from spreading,” he said. “We share a commitment to ensuring that the conflict does not spread.”
He said his talks also included “not necessarily easy discussions” about what each country can do once the conflict is over “to provide the guarantees and incentives needed to build a more secure, stable and peaceful future for the region.” build.”
“And my conclusion from the discussions so far, including here with our friends in Qatar, is that our partners are willing to have these difficult conversations and make tough decisions. We all feel we have a stake in finding the way forward,” Blinken said.
Arab states have been highly critical of Israel's actions and have shunned public support for long-term planning, arguing that fighting must end before such discussions can begin. They have been demanding a ceasefire since mid-October, as the number of civilian casualties began to soar.
Following his talks with Blinken, Sheikh Mohammed called for an immediate ceasefire, saying the constant images of death and destruction in Gaza are desensitizing people to the horrors of what is happening.
“This is a great test of our humanity,” he said. “We are looking for a sustainable future. However, the focus now is on stopping the fighting.”
On Sunday in Amman, Jordan's King Abdullah II warned of the catastrophic consequences of the war in Gaza as he called on the US to push for an immediate ceasefire, according to a Royal Court statement.
Israel has refused to agree to a ceasefire and the US has instead called for specific temporary “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid to flow in and people to safety.
Another pressing priority for Blinken is increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza. In Amman, Blinken toured the World Food Program's Regional Coordination Warehouse, where trucks are packed with aid to be delivered to Gaza through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to improve the situation for the men, women and children in Gaza,” Blinken said.
From Saudi Arabia, Blinken will travel to Israel, the West Bank and Egypt on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to Washington.
The US has pressured Israel for weeks to allow increased amounts of food, water, fuel, medicine and other supplies into Gaza, and the UN Security Council passed a resolution on December 22 calling for an immediate increase in deliveries. Three weeks ago, Israel opened Kerem Shalom, adding a second access point for aid to Gaza after Rafah.
Yet the number of trucks entering has not increased significantly. According to UN figures, an average of about 120 trucks a day entered through Rafah and Kerem Shalom this week, far below the 500 trucks of goods that came in daily before the war and far below what aid organizations say is needed.
Almost the entire population of 2.3 million people depends on the trucks crossing the border for their survival. One in four Palestinians in Gaza are hungry, and the rest are facing a hunger crisis, according to the UN
More than 85% of people in Gaza have been driven from their homes by Israeli bombing and ground offensives. Most live in UN shelters overcrowded beyond capacity, in newly established tent camps or on the streets.
Blinken's visit comes as developments in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq have put major pressure on what had been a modestly successful U.S. effort to avert a regional conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 attacked, and because international criticism of the Israeli army's operation mounted.
