FLASH
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while in Riyadh on Monday, said he would be committed to persuading Israeli leaders to do more to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Speaking at a meeting of the region's foreign ministers, Mr Blinken said the best way to alleviate the humanitarian disaster in Gaza would be to reach a ceasefire agreement that would free the hostages held by Hamas. Mr. Blinken called the latest Israeli proposal for a ceasefire an "extremely generous" proposal.
Some of the main topics that the US Secretary of State will discuss during his stay in the Middle East are the delivery of more humanitarian aid to Gaza, the achievement of a ceasefire, the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the reconstruction and governance of the Palestinian territories. after the war.
According to Secretary Blinken, all these topics are related to each other, but:
"One should not wait for a ceasefire to be reached to take the necessary steps to send more aid to Gaza. President Biden has insisted that Israel take concrete steps to alleviate the suffering of civilians and increase security for humanitarian workers in Gaza," Mr. Blinken said in Riyadh while attending the meeting of foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
During this meeting, the Prime Minister of Qatar emphasized the need for peaceful solutions to avoid the escalation of regional tensions.
"The recent military escalation in the Middle East region is extremely dangerous for regional security and stability. All efforts should be made to resolve conflicts through peaceful and diplomatic means," said Prime Minister Al Thani.
While attending a special meeting of the World Economic Forum being held in Riyadh, Secretary Blinken urged Hamas to accept Israel's latest proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"Hamas has before it a proposal that is extremely generous on the part of Israel. "At this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas... I hope they will make the right decision," Mr. Blinken said.
Hamas's response may be given on Monday during the meeting that the Palestinian militant group's negotiators will hold with mediators from Qatar and Egypt in Cairo. If Hamas does not accept the ceasefire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to launch a military operation in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah.
In Saudi Arabia, Secretary Blinken reiterated the US government's opposition to a ground attack on Rafah "in the absence of an Israeli plan to ensure the protection of civilians".
Israel insists that the last four intact Hamas battalions have taken refuge in Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from other parts of Gaza have also gathered.
Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli data.
Israel retaliated by launching a military response that has so far, according to unconfirmed Hamas figures from independent sources, killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.
After Saudi Arabia, Mr. Blinken continues his visit to other countries in the region, including Israel. This is Secretary Blinken's seventh visit to the region since October last year. /VOA
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