Blinken Discusses the Future of Gaza with Arab Foreign Ministers

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced today that he "met with officials from Arab countries to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip," amid Israel's resumption of its attacks following the end of a week-long ceasefire with Hamas. He clarified that "today's discussions focused on the current situation in Gaza and how to achieve a 'lasting and secure peace'," before boarding his plane at the conclusion of his third visit to the region since the Hamas attack on October 7, which Israel claims resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages. A senior U.S. State Department official stated that "Blinken met with the foreign ministers of Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, as well as representatives from the Palestinian Authority on the sidelines of the UN climate conference COP28 in Dubai."