After the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah launched 40 missiles against Israel this Saturday (6), the United States and the European Union began simultaneous diplomatic missions to calm tensions in the Middle East. Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, visited Istanbul, Turkey, to talk to President Recep Erdogan and is expected to travel to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt until January 11th.
Americans have supported Israel since the start of the war against Hamas terrorists about three months ago. However, according to the newspaper TheGuardian, Blinken is expected to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
According to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Blinken will reinforce during his visit the “need to prevent the conflict from spreading, secure the release of hostages, expand humanitarian aid and reduce civilian casualties.”
In parallel, Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, visited Beirut and reiterated the importance of preventing Lebanon from ending up involved in war. The request comes one day after the Israeli Army used fighter jets to attack a Lebanese region to target Hezbollah bases.
“It is imperative to avoid regional escalation in the Middle East,” Borrell told the AFP news agency. “I am also sending this message to Israel: no one will win from a regional conflict.”
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