US Secretary of State Antony Blinken departs on Mideast trip to solidify ceasefire

Washington - “Secretary Blinken will meet with Israeli leaders about our commitment to Israel’s security,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left on Monday for a Middle East trip aimed at consolidating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a modest objective as Washington expresses a commitment to advancing a two-state solution.

Blinken heads first to Jerusalem, less than a week after both sides agreed to halt 11 days of bombardment that killed over 200 Palestinians in the ongoing conflict’s worst escalation in years.

“Secretary Blinken will meet with Israeli leaders about our commitment to Israel’s security,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

“He will continue our administration’s efforts to rebuild ties to, and support for, the Palestinian people and leaders, after years of neglect.”

Blinken’s trip, in addition to meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, will take him to Cairo for consultations with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and then to Amman to speak with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

“We’re really focused primarily on ensuring that the ceasefire sticks, and taking tangible steps to advance the quality of people’s lives, advance their freedom, advance their security and advance their prosperity,” a senior State Department official told journalists.

“We believe that, in the immediate term, that’s what’s feasible, and that’s what’s important,” the official added.

In a tweet, Blinken said the trip would aim to support “efforts to solidify a ceasefire”.

“The United States has engaged in intensive diplomacy to bring an end to the hostilities and reduce tensions,” he added.