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Rabat – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel on Monday after conducting a series of diplomatic talks in six Arab states, in an effort to “de-escalate” the ongoing war before it spreads to other regions.
Just four days after his last visit to Tel Aviv, Blinken landed back in the city with the expectation of meeting Israeli leaders as the country prepares for a major ground invasion in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, this visit comes as President Joe Biden reportedly considers an invitation to visit Israel to further demonstrate his country’s support.
Since the escalations last week, Israel’s bombing of the Gaza strip has taken over 2,700 lives, with thousands more injured..
“I want an opportunity to share everything that I’ve heard — that I’ve learned — over the last few days visiting with our other partners and to talk about the way forward with our Israeli allies and friends,” Blinken told reporters in Cairo on Sunday.
The Israeli government declared war on Hamas after the resistance group’s fighters attacked Israel on October 7. Since Saturday, more than 1,400 Israelis have died in the continuous attacks.
Read also: Report: Hamas’s ‘Operation Storm Al Aqsa’ Shattered Israel’s ‘Security Myth’
In response, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign that has claimed the lives of around 2,750 people so far, the majority of whom are ordinary Palestinians, including women and children, residing in the long-blockaded and impoverished Gaza Strip.
“I made clear that it cannot be — must not be — business as usual with Hamas going forward,” Blinken said in Cairo. “And at the same time, as I said, we’re determined to do everything we can to address the needs of people in Gaza. Civilians should not have to suffer for Hamas’s atrocities.”
Under pressure from the United States, Israel resumed the supply of water to the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, after previously vowing to keep out all supplies of food, water, and energy to the densely-populated territory.
Additionally, the United States appointed a coordinator for humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, who is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday.
Israel has been imposing an air, land, and sea blockade on Gaza for decades, often preventing civilians from leaving the territory and depriving them of essential supplies.
During his tour, Blinken held talks in four of the five Arab states that have diplomatic relations with Israel, including Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
He also visited Saudi Arabia, which has put its normalization bid with Israel on hold following the recent violence, and Qatar, which maintains relations with Hamas.
