U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is holding talks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia today before heading to Israel, having warned that the Gaza war could extend throughout the region if tangible peace efforts are not achieved. Blinken visited Jordan and Qatar on Sunday at the start of a five-day diplomatic tour in the Middle East, aimed at preventing the war from escalating in the region. He is scheduled to visit the West Bank and Egypt this week.
Blinken stated at a press conference in Doha before heading to Abu Dhabi, "This is a time of deep tension in the region. This conflict could easily spread, causing more instability and suffering."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant indicated that the severity of the attack in Gaza signifies Israel's determination to destroy the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) that governs the territory and deter other potential adversaries allied with Iran, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. He told the Wall Street Journal, "My basic view is that we are fighting a bloc, not just one enemy. Iran is working to build its military power around Israel for use."
Israel and Hezbollah frequently exchange fire across the Lebanese border, and Iranian-allied Houthi forces in Yemen appear determined to continue attacks on ships in the Red Sea until Israel stops bombing Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinian health officials report that the Israeli assault has so far resulted in approximately 23,000 deaths in Gaza. The Health Ministry in Gaza stated today that 73 Palestinians were killed and 99 others injured in Israeli strikes on the territory over the past 24 hours.
The fighting has led to the displacement of most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents and the destruction of a large number of homes and civilian infrastructure amid severe shortages of food, water, and medicine. Blinken noted that he would inform Israeli officials during his visit to Israel about the necessity of making greater efforts to prevent civilian casualties and injuries in Gaza. He added that Palestinian civilians must be allowed to return to their homes and should not be pressured to leave the territory.
Jordan's King Abdullah urged Blinken to leverage U.S. influence over Israel to push for an immediate ceasefire, warning of the "catastrophic consequences" of the continued Israeli military campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu committed to continuing the fight, stating at the beginning of the weekly government meeting on Sunday, "The war must not stop until we achieve all our goals: destroying Hamas, recovering all our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel. I say this to both our enemies and our friends."
Despite global concern over the bloodshed and destruction in Gaza and international pressure for a ceasefire, public opinion in Israel remains strongly supportive of the operation, despite a sharp decline in Netanyahu's popularity.
