US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken begins this Thursday evening a new tour in the region that includes Israel and aims to avoid the expansion of the war in the Gaza Strip after the assassination of the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Saleh Al-Arouri in the southern suburb of Beirut and the two bombings in Iran, for which no party has claimed responsibility.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “No country has an interest in escalation in the region.” At a time when criticism of the United States is increasing for its consistent military support for Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip.
Miller did not add details about the specific timetable for this visit and its overall stops, but it will be his fifth visit to Israel and his fourth to the region since last October 7.
The United States claims that the pressure it exerted on Israel behind the scenes bore fruit in recent days through Israel allowing aid trucks to enter Gaza and opening a second crossing.
While the bombing of the Gaza Strip continues, the deaths of civilians, and the spread of hunger and diseases.
Yesterday, Wednesday, Blinken stressed that there is an urgent need to discuss the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and prevent the escalation of the conflict in the region, as he put it.
During his last visit to Israel, the day before the end of the truce on November 30, Blinken discussed with Israeli leaders opportunities to extend humanitarian truces in the besieged Strip, but he then left minutes before the bombing broke out again.
It is noteworthy that Blinken, US President Joe Biden, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attended the War Council meetings in Tel Aviv during their visit to Israel.
The American visits to the region came within the framework of supporting Israel, discussing prisoner exchange deals, and reducing escalation in the region, in accordance with its declared goals.