The top US diplomat is on his fourth international tour in three months, amid growing worries the Israel Hamas war may escalate regionally.
ADVERTISEMENTUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Greece as part of his latest diplomatic mission as fears mount that Israel’s war against Hamas may explode into a broader conflict.
Blinken visited Turkey on Saturday in what was his fourth visit to the region in three months.
Fighting in Gaza has put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful US push to prevent a regional conflagration in the weeks after the war began - and growing international criticism of Israel’s military operation.
Earlier on Saturday, Blinken met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, particularly on Iran and its proxies.
They are also trying to solve the problem of how to ease soaring tensions, speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin to plan for reconstruction and governance of post-war Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble by three months of intense Israeli bombardments.
In Greeve, Blinken will meet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at his residence on the Mediterranean island of Crete.
Mitsotakis and his government have been supportive of US efforts to prevent the Gaza war from spreading and have signalled their willingness to assist should the situation deteriorate further.
In Istanbul, US officials said Blinken would be seeking Turkish buy-in, or at least consideration, of potential monetary or in-kind contributions to reconstruction efforts.
The top US diplomat also wants some form of Turkish participation in a proposed multi-national force that could operate in or adjacent to the territory.
Turkey's leader has been particularly critical of Israel for the prosecution of the war and the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians.
According to a Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issues, Fidan told Blinken that Israel’s “increasing aggression” in Gaza was a threat to the region.
The Turkish minister also called for an immediate ceasefire and the delivery of “uninterrupted” humanitarian aid, saying negotiations for a two-state solution should begin “as soon as possible.”
Blinken will end his Saturday in Jordan which, apart from Israel, has been the secretary’s most frequent stop on his recent Middle East tours.
Jordan will be the first Arab nation visited by Blinken, followed by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday.
Blinken will then visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the trip in Egypt.
As well as pressing Israel for dramatic increases in humanitarian aid to Gaza, a shift toward less intense military operations and a concerted effort to rein in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by Jewish settlers, Blinken will be urging reluctant Gulf Arab nations to work with the US on the future of Gaza.