Blinken visits Saudi Arabia on Middle East tour with Gaza in focus
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia, the first stop on an extensive Middle East tour to discuss, among other issues, the governance of Gaza in the aftermath of the war with Israel.
The Blinken-led delegation is scheduled to visit Israel in the coming days, where it will "press" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take concrete steps, which President Joe Biden has repeatedly called on him to take over the past month to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The US aspirations for Blinken's visit are to seek a solution in the short term, by reducing Israeli attacks on Gaza, and in the long term, by aiming for the creation of a stable government, not linked to Hamas, that will help the Gazan people find stability.
In Riyadh, Blinken is expected to meet with senior Saudi officials and hold extensive meetings with counterparts from five Arab countries (Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan) to continue talks on Gaza management.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the secretary will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages and how Hamas stands between the Palestinian people and a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time since 13 April, when Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel. In the call, the US president repeated his "clear position on the planned Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza".
US President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time since 13 April when Iran launched missiles and drones against Israel. During the call, the US president reaffirmed his "firm position on the planned Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza".
What happens after the war?
Alarming levels are being reached in Gaza. According to Hamas health ministry sources, with at least 34,388 Palestinians dead and another 77,437 injured, the scenario for Gaza residents and humanitarian organisations is abusive. According to the same source, 32 people have been killed and 69 injured in the last 24 hours. The Ministry also warned about the loss of capacity to treat drinking water in the Strip.
It expects Blinken to bring together Arab and European countries to discuss how Europe can help in the reconstruction of the territory, which was turned into a desert in six months by Israeli bombardment. Although Qatar and Egypt have been in talks for months, no agreement has been reached between Hamas and Israel on the release of hostages and the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Khalil al-Hayya, deputy chief of staff in the Gaza Strip, reported that Hamas is investigating Israel's official response to its position on the ceasefire talks since Saturday 27 April and the proposed exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Israel has threatened to intervene in Rafah if the Palestinian group does not respond promptly. On Friday, a delegation of mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States visited Israel to discuss the issue. According to John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, the US is trying to end a six-week ceasefire between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip that has lasted nearly seven months.
A ceasefire has been under negotiation for months and, despite some sporadic signs of a possible agreement, Kirby has not hinted at further progress in the talks. He told US officials that Israel's decision not to deploy ground troops in the southern Gaza town of Rafah would not resolve US concerns about the risk to the lives of more than a million Palestinian refugees in that area.
