US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived – today, Thursday – in the Egyptian capital to hold talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi about the repercussions of the Gaza war, in his last stop on his tour of the region aimed at what was called preventing the expansion of the war.
Earlier – the American minister said that he was discussing with Doha and Cairo ways to conclude a deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, especially after their efforts to reach a temporary truce last November 24, which lasted a week.
Blinken visited several countries in the region before his visit to Israel, including Qatar, Turkey, Greece, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and he also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
The US Secretary of State said that he discussed with Abbas yesterday the importance of reforming the Palestinian Authority, its policies and its governance, so that it can effectively assume its responsibility in Gaza.
At the conclusion of his discussions in Tel Aviv last Tuesday, Blinken announced the agreement with Israel to send a UN mission to northern Gaza for what is called an assessment of the situation regarding the return of the displaced, stressing that Washington wants the war to end as soon as possible.
The American Minister also assured Israel that it is not possible to eliminate the Hamas movement, but he stressed the need for Israel to achieve its goal in the war so that what happened on October 7 of last year would not be repeated, as he put it.
Blinken stressed – during his visit to the region – that the United States’ focus revolves around steps towards a “sustainable, peaceful and secure” future for all, while emphasizing the necessity of “avoiding a larger conflict” in the region.
He pointed to the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state, stressing his country’s “rejection” of displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. However, Israeli officials opposed Blinken’s demands, especially regarding changing the method of warfare in Gaza and handing over tax money to the Palestinian Authority.
Blinken’s visit to the region came in the wake of regional tensions after Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri in Beirut, and two explosions in Iran, which Israel was accused of carrying out but did not claim responsibility for.