AMMAN: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a tour of Arab capitals on Friday as he seeks to put pressure on Hamas, while Israel prepares what is likely to be a massive offensive on the Gaza Strip following militant attacks.
The top US diplomat will meet King Abdullah II of Jordan, a longtime US partner, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman before visiting Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Blinken spent Thursday in Tel Aviv, where he pledged unwavering solidarity with US ally Israel following a surprise Hamas offensive on October 7 that killed over 1,200 people and took about 150 others hostage.
The United States publicly blessed the retaliation by Israel, which on Friday called for the immediate resettlement of 1.1 million people in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which is already under Israeli blockade.
Israel has killed more than 1,400 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip and cut off food, water and electricity since the Hamas attack.
Qatar, where Blinken will head after Jordan, has long-standing ties to Hamas and has been seen as an intermediary in the release of the hostages.
“We will continue to urge countries to help prevent the spread of the conflict and to use their influence with Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages,” Blinken said late Thursday in Tel Aviv.
“We will also discuss how we can continue to realize our positive vision for a region that is more peaceful, prosperous, secure and integrated.
“It’s actually a choice, and the choice was in some ways even more severe than the actions of Hamas.”
In the weeks before the attacks, Saudi Arabia had spoken of progress in US-led diplomacy to normalize relations with Israel – a landmark for the conservative kingdom, which is the custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites.
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Few expect the momentum to be sustained as the Saudis join Qatar in blaming Israeli policies towards the Palestinians for the outbreak of violence.
US officials are working with Egypt, which also neighbors Gaza and was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, on a plan for a security corridor from Gaza.
Blinken said he had spoken with Israel “about safe passage options for civilians who want to leave or get out of Gaza.”
Abbas, nearly 88, whose Palestinian Authority enjoys a small level of autonomy in the West Bank, is a long-time foe of Hamas, whose control of the Gaza Strip led to a 17-year Israeli blockade.
The United States, under the leadership of President Joe Biden and other Democrats, largely supports the Palestinian Authority and sees it as the best option for long-term peace with Israel.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long sought to push aside the Palestinian Authority and Abbas, saying he is insufficiently committed to stopping the violence, with Israel’s hard-right government rejecting the prospect of a two-state solution.
Abbas made his first public remarks on the conflict on Thursday after meeting with King Abdullah.
Abbas called for an “immediate end to the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people” and rejected “practices related to the killing or abuse of civilians on both sides.”
Blinken had earlier spoken to Abbas by phone about the attacks and urged him to condemn the violence and maintain stability in the West Bank.
