Blinken in the Middle East, here are the details of the mission

The US Secretary of State in Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt: first objective, humanitarian assistance in the Strip

“Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt”. These are the countries that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit ''for meetings with foreign counterparts and others'' during his new mission that began this evening.

Blinken's program

''Immediate measures to increase humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza'' is the first objective of the new tour, as US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller explained in a briefing.

In Israel, Miller added, Blinken will talk about the ongoing military campaign against Hamas, including plans for transitioning to the next phase of operations and steps the Israelis can take to better protect civilians. Blinken will also discuss ongoing efforts to bring home hostages still in the Gaza Strip, including American citizens who remain missing. Additionally, Miller said, Blinken will focus on how he can prevent the conflict from spreading. “He will discuss specific steps the parties can take, including how they can use their influence with others in the region to avoid escalation,” Miller stressed.

Blinken's commitment will also be to underline the responsibility of all parties to help chart a path for Gaza that achieves lasting security for both Israelis and Palestiniansas well as a more peaceful and integrated region “based on the principles established in Tokyo last November and which provides for a lasting mechanism for the reconstruction and Palestinian-led governance of a unified West Bank in Gaza,” Miller said while meeting with journalists.

The US Secretary of State ''can't wait'' to discuss with the authorities Türkiye of the ''last steps to be taken for the ratification of Sweden's full membership of NATO'', Miller then explained, adding that Blinken will speak with his Turkish counterparts about many areas of bilateral and regional cooperation.

''Interviews won't always be easy'' that Blinken will have in his mission which will take him to visit nine countries in seven days, until January 11, the spokesperson admitted, explaining that it will not be an easy mission, but a ''necessary one''.

Miller said that ''we don't expect every interview on this journey to be easy. There are obviously difficult issues facing the region and difficult choices to face. But the Secretary believes it is the United States' responsibility to lead diplomatic efforts to meet these challenges head on, and he stands ready to do so in the days ahead.”