US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel, the West Bank and the United Arab Emirates this week, the State Department said.
His tour comes as Washington tries to secure greater humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
“In Israel and the West Bank, Secretary Blinken will discuss Israel’s right to self-defense under international humanitarian law, as well as additional efforts to free remaining hostages, protect civilians during Israeli operations in Gaza, and expedite the handover of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza,” the State Department said.
Blinken will discuss Washington’s vision for the future of the Gaza Strip if Israel succeeds in destroying Hamas, a State Department spokesperson previously said.
The US diplomat will also discuss the need for an independent Palestinian state and attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, the State Department said.
As Blinken prepared for the trip, the Biden administration issued strong warnings to Israel about the next phase of its military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Washington said that the campaign in the south of the enclave should not be accompanied by the same destruction as in the north of the territory, The Hill newspaper reported.
The administration proposes that Israel agree to the creation of “deconflict zones” that would include U.N. facilities and safe havens where there would be no active hostilities, a senior administration official told reporters.
“The scale of displacement that has occurred in the north cannot be allowed to occur again in the south,” the official said, according to The Hill.
This will be Blinken’s third trip to the region since October 7, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.
In response, Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip, a densely populated coastal enclave where 2.3 million people live.
After the shocking attack, which opened one of the bloodiest chapters in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Blinken undertook diplomatic work with Israeli and Arab leaders to prevent the conflict from expanding, ensuring the release of hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. . Band.
This week he will speak about the future of the Gaza Strip and the need for a permanent political solution to the long-running conflict.
During a visit to Japan earlier this month, Blinken outlined Washington’s “red lines” regarding governance in the Gaza Strip if Hamas is defeated.
Blinken ruled out the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, the permanent displacement of its population and the reduction of the enclave’s territory. However, negotiations with Arab states, Israel and Palestinian leaders have so far failed to produce a clear plan.
The head of US diplomacy “will also discuss the principles he laid out in Tokyo on November 8 and tangible steps to create a future Palestinian state,” the State Department said.
