The US State Department said in a statement that Secretary Anthony Blinken stressed the need to discuss the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and avoid escalation of the conflict in the region, in a phone call with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Taiani, on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the US State Department, the two ministers discussed the threats facing global interests in light of the continued attacks launched by the Houthi group on Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
According to the Italian newspaper ANSA, Tayani assured his American counterpart that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea is one of the most important priorities for Italy during its presidency of the G7 in 2024.
As an expression of its solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been witnessing a devastating war with American support since October 7, 2023, the Houthi group launched missile and drone attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or managed by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel.
In response to the Houthi attacks, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced an initiative to form a coalition of 10 countries under the name “Guardian of Prosperity” on December 18, with the aim of “deterring attacks in the Red Sea.”
Blinken postpones his visit to Israel
According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Blinken announced yesterday, Tuesday, the postponement of his scheduled visit to Israel tomorrow, Thursday, following the assassination of the Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Saleh Al-Arouri, in Beirut.
According to the newspaper, the US Secretary of State’s visit to Israel has been postponed until next Monday.
It is noteworthy that CNN quoted Blinken as acknowledging the existence of disagreements within the State Department regarding President Joe Biden’s administration’s approach to supporting Israel in its war on Gaza, in an email to employees on November 13.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, which, as of yesterday, Tuesday, resulted in the death of 22,185 Palestinians and the injury of 57,35 others, most of them children and women. This war also caused massive destruction of infrastructure and left an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to Palestinian and international reports.
