US Secretary of State begins Middle East tour focused on Gaza conflict
Shafaq News / US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Istanbul today, Friday, as his first stop in a Middle East tour centered on the conflict in Gaza.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), in addition to Turkey and Greece, Blinken will visit five Arab countries as well as Israel and the West Bank as part of this fourth tour of the region since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that Blinken will discuss matters including "immediate steps to significantly increase humanitarian aid to Gaza."
Miller mentioned that Blinken will also discuss "preventing the expansion of the conflict." This comes days after the killing of Hamas commander Saleh al-Arouri in an Israeli strike in Lebanon, while Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen target ships in the Red Sea.
Miller affirmed that "discussions will involve specific steps that parties can take, including how they can use their leverage with others in the region to prevent escalation."
He emphasized that "transcending the conflict beyond Gaza is in nobody's interest—neither Israel, the region, nor the world."
Blinken is set to visit Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
This marks Blinken's fourth tour in the region since the October 7th, last year, Hamas attack on Israel, which was met with a large-scale Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
