U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to Israel tomorrow, Monday, to discuss "ways to move forward" after his shuttle diplomacy over several days among Arab countries, which he stated share the United States' determination to ensure that the conflict with Hamas does not expand. Blinken told reporters as he prepared to leave Cairo, "I saw determination in every country I visited to ensure that this (conflict) does not spread to other places... They are using their influence and their own relationships to try to ensure that does not happen."
Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday and then with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, where he received a frank assessment from Sisi regarding Israel's response to Hamas's attack that resulted in 1,300 deaths. Sisi told Blinken in televised remarks, "The Israeli response went beyond the principle of the right to self-defense to collective punishment" of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza. He added, "Aid must be allowed into the besieged Gaza... and those concerned with the issue and aware of the causes of the crisis should be listened to. Egypt is making intense efforts to contain the situation in Gaza and prevent other parties from entering the conflict."
Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas, which controls Gaza, after its fighters infiltrated Israeli towns last week, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. They also took hostages in the worst attack on civilians in Israel's history. Gaza has faced unprecedented aerial and artillery bombardment, putting the sector under complete siege. Gaza authorities reported that the death toll in the region has reached 2,670, with 9,600 injured.
**American Deterrence**
International diplomacy is focused on preventing the conflict from expanding, particularly to Lebanon. The United States is specifically trying to deter Iran, which supports Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah group. Hezbollah and Israel have already exchanged fire at the border over the past week. Blinken stated that the U.S. has made it clear that both government and non-government actors should not exploit the situation. He added, "We backed these words with concrete actions, including deploying our two largest carrier strike groups to the region. This is not meant to provoke but to deter." Blinken reiterated, "No one should do anything that would exacerbate tensions elsewhere."
Before leaving Cairo, Blinken described his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince as "extremely fruitful." A U.S. official indicated that the meeting lasted just under an hour. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Crown Prince emphasized the need to find ways to stop the conflict and respect international law, including lifting the Israeli blockade on Gaza. It stated that the Crown Prince affirmed, "It is necessary to work towards finding ways to halt military operations that have resulted in innocent casualties, stressing the Kingdom's endeavor to intensify communication and work towards de-escalation and stopping ongoing hostilities while adhering to international humanitarian law, including lifting the blockade on Gaza."
The agency also reported that the Crown Prince stressed the importance of creating conditions for stability's return and resuming the peace process to ensure the Palestinian people receive their legitimate rights and achieve just and lasting peace. Blinken stated in Cairo that the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza will be reopened. He added, "We are currently working closely with countries in the region, the United Nations, and Israel to ensure as much as possible that people can get out of harm's way and that the assistance they need – food, water, and medicine – reaches them."
**Rafah Crossing**
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told CNN on Saturday that the Rafah crossing is open, but the roads leading to it in Gaza are "not operational" due to Israeli bombing. He added that if foreign nationals can cross the border, Egypt will facilitate their departure to their home countries.
There is concern in Egypt about the possibility of displacing Gaza's residents due to the blockade and Israeli bombardment. An earlier statement from the Egyptian presidency, issued after a National Security Council meeting, rejected and condemned the policy of displacing Palestinians or attempts to resolve the Palestinian issue at the expense of neighboring countries, emphasizing that Egyptian national security is a red line.
Egypt, like other Arab nations, insists that Palestinians must remain on their land as the war escalates and that it is working to ensure aid reaches them. The statement noted that the Egyptian president proposed holding a summit to discuss the crisis. The Egyptian Red Crescent reported that eight planes carrying aid from Turkey, the UAE, Jordan, Tunisia, and the World Health Organization recently landed at Al-Arish Airport in Sinai, and a convoy with over 100 trucks is awaiting permission to enter Gaza.
