The Secretary of State of the United States, Anthony Blinkenmet this Tuesday with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuas part of his visit to the country and his regional tour to de-escalate the war in Gaza, and insisted on “the need” to achieve “a lasting peace” for Israel, the Palestinians and the entire region.
“The secretary reiterated the need to ensure lasting and sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including through the creation of a Palestinian state,” Blinken said in his meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem, the US State Department reported.
The highest representative of American diplomacy reaffirmed his support “for Israel's right to prevent a repeat of the terrorist attacks of October 7”when the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israeli territory and caused some 1,200 deaths and kidnapped more than two hundred people.
At the same time, he emphasized “the importance of preventing further harm to civilians and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza“, where the Israeli offensive, with attacks by land, sea and air, has caused the death of more than 23,000 people and almost 60,000 injured.
Blinken also discussed with Netanyahu “the ongoing efforts to secure the release” of the hostages in Gaza, currently more than 130 – among whom there are an estimated 24 dead – and wanted to emphasize “the importance of raising the level of humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in Gaza.
An Israeli soldier walks past a tank deployed in a position along the border with the Gaza Strip.
The Secretary of State's tour of the region focused on seeking measures to de-escalate tensions in the war between Israel and the Palestinian militias in Gazawhich led to an escalation of regional violence that expanded especially with the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon – where crossfire with Israel continues daily – but also with rocket launches from Syria or by the Houthi rebels from Yemen, that created a crisis in the Red Sea.
After landing in Israel last night, Blinken also met today with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz, to whom he conveyed “the imperative to prevent the expansion of the conflict and seek sustainable peace in the region.”
After meeting with Netanyahu, the head of US diplomacy also met with the War Cabinet and the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, who also urged him to “increase pressure” on Iran, an ally of Hamas and Hezbollah and archenemy of Israel.
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, Gallant and Blinken “analyzed security tensions throughout the Middle East and Iranian aggression against Israel through their 'proxies'.”
EFE
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