Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with leaders in Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday, the second day of a Middle East tour aimed at preventing an exchange of attacks with Iran-backed militias from spiraling into a broader regional war and to rally allies around a proposed cease-fire agreement for Gaza.
Mr. Blinken, on his fifth trip to the region since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, visited Cairo to meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt before traveling to Doha for discussions with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, the country’s prime minister and foreign minister.
Mr. Blinken began the trip a day before by meeting in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussing how to achieve “an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza,” as well as the need to reduce tensions across the region, according to Mr. Miller. He is also scheduled to hold meetings with leaders in Israel and the West Bank during the trip. All are key players in negotiations over a potential pause in the fighting in Gaza.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators have presented Hamas with a proposal, backed by the United States and Israel, that would pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas for the first time since a one-week cease-fire in November during which more than 100 hostages were freed.
The Biden administration and its Arab allies are still awaiting a response from Hamas to a framework for the deal, which would involve the exchange of more than 100 additional hostages held in Gaza for a pause in fighting and the release of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. Mr. Blinken and Mr. el-Sisi also discussed that proposal during the meeting on Tuesday.
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail the diplomatic efforts, said Mr. Blinken would tell American allies in the region that the Biden administration’s recent strikes against Iran-backed militias should not be interpreted as an escalation of fighting in the Middle East.
American and British warplanes, with support from allies, have carried out a series of airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen in an effort to deter the group from attacking ships in the Red Sea.
Mr. Blinken discussed with Mr. el-Sisi the “shared objectives for regional stability and prosperity, including halting Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.”
The U.S. has also conducted dozens of military strikes in recent days on targets in Iraq and Syria, in retaliation for the killing of three U.S. service members at a base near the Syrian border in Jordan.
During his meeting in Cairo with Mr. el-Sisi, Mr. Blinken discussed U.S. opposition to any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, according to Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman. Egypt has rejected the idea of opening its border to allow displaced Palestinians to take temporary refuge on its territory.
“Secretary Blinken emphasized the United States’ rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and commitment to establishing a Palestinian state that provides peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Mr. Miller said.
When he visits Israel on this trip, Mr. Blinken was expected to convey American concerns about the civilian death toll in Gaza, according to U.S. officials.
Mr. Blinken will also discuss what diplomats call the “day-after” plans for governing Gaza after the fighting ends, including a possible role for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Source link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/world/middleeast/blinken-is-on-his-fifth-trip-to-the-middle-east-since-the-start-of-the-war.html