U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Middle Eastern nations to utilize their influence on regional parties to contain the conflict in Gaza and end the “endless cycle of violence.”
This statement followed Blinken’s meetings with the Turkish President and the Greek Prime Minister at the beginning of a week-long tour aimed at de-escalating the rising tensions in the Middle East since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October.
Blinken, addressing journalists, stressed that it is in the interest of almost all Middle Eastern countries to contain the fighting.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of northern Israel, noting, “From Israel’s perspective… it does not want escalation… but it also needs to be fully prepared to defend itself.”
Before flying to Jordan, Blinken added, “We want to make sure that countries that feel this way (that it’s in their interest) also use their connections, influence, and relationships with some of the actors who might be involved in the conflict to push towards controlling the situation. We want to ensure that we do not see a spread of the conflict.”
Blinken, who will also visit Arab countries, Israel, and the occupied West Bank, warned that failure to resolve the crisis would result in an “endless cycle of violence… and a life without security and conflict for the people of the region.”
He also mentioned exploring what can be done to maximize protection for civilians in Gaza and deliver more humanitarian aid, highlighting the high number of Palestinian casualties, especially children.
Blinken’s tour began in Istanbul, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
The U.S. State Department stated that prior to meeting Erdogan, Blinken discussed the Gaza war and Turkey’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership application with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
A senior U.S. State Department official accompanying Blinken, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted Turkey’s relationships with various conflict parties, including its ties with Iran and Hamas.
Contrary to the United States, Turkey does not designate Hamas as a terrorist organization and hosts some of its members.
Blinken is also looking to make progress in talks on how Gaza would be governed if Israel achieves its goal of eliminating Hamas.
The official stated that Washington wants regional countries like Turkey to play a role in rebuilding and governing Gaza and possibly in the security of the sector, which Hamas has managed since 2007.
