U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Arab leaders on Sunday that Washington opposes the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank as he seeks to initiate discussions about Gaza's future post-war. A statement from the Hashemite Royal Court noted that Jordan's King Abdullah raised concerns about displacement during his meeting with Blinken in Amman amid Israel's ongoing military campaign, which has turned a significant part of the small Gaza Strip into rubble. The Israeli attack has pushed the area's approximately 2.3 million residents to the brink of famine, according to relief workers.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Blinken emphasized during his meeting with King Abdullah "the United States' rejection of displacing Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza and the urgent need to protect Palestinian civilians in the West Bank from extremist settler violence." In a press conference following his meeting with senior Qatari officials in Doha, another stop on his tour, Blinken said, "Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as circumstances allow. They cannot and should not be pressured to leave Gaza."
Most of Gaza's residents have been displaced due to the conflict, while violence has erupted in the West Bank, including a deadly raid in the city of Jenin on Sunday. The Royal Court stated that King Abdullah warned Blinken of the "catastrophic consequences" of the continued Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The king also stressed the importance of the U.S. role in pushing for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Blinken's tour in the region comes amid increasing fears that the Gaza war could escalate. He told reporters in Doha, "This is a moment of high tension in the region. This is a conflict that could easily escalate and cause more insecurity and suffering." The tour follows an Israeli drone strike in Beirut that killed a senior Hamas leader, as well as exchanges of fire between Israel and the Iranian-allied Lebanese group Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon. Washington is also working to rally its allies to deter attacks by the Houthi rebels, who control large areas of Yemen, on ships in the Red Sea.
Blinken arrived in Jordan late Saturday and met with King Abdullah before traveling to Qatar to meet with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister. Later, Blinken arrived in the UAE. In Doha, he mentioned discussing efforts to free over 100 hostages believed to still be held by Hamas following the collapse of a previous agreement mediated by Qatar. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani stated today that the killing of a Hamas leader in last week's Israeli drone strike in Beirut affected Qatar's ability to mediate between the group and Israel.
