Jerusalem, Jan 9 (EFE). – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of his regional tour to de-escalate the war in Gaza and “reiterated the need to secure a lasting and sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including through the realization of a Palestinian state,” US State Department reported.
The top American diplomat reiterated his for “Israel’s right to prevent a repeat of the terrorist attacks of October 7,” when Hamas carried out a surprise offensive that left more than 1,200 dead on Israeli soil.
In return, he “stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” where the Israeli attacks by land, sea and air, have left over 23,000 Palestinians dead and nearly 60,000 wounded.
Blinken also discussed with Netanyahu the “ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and the importance of increasing the level of humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in Gaza.”
The Secretary of State’s tour of the region focused on finding ways to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Palestinian militias in Gaza, as well as with the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon – where there is daily crossfire with Israel – but also in Syria and with the Houthi rebels from Yemen who have created a crisis in the Red Sea.
After landing in Israel Monday night, Blinken also met Thursday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz, to whom he conveyed “the imperative to prevent the expansion of the conflict and seek sustainable peace in the region.”
The US diplomat also met with the war cabinet and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who urged him to “increase pressure” on Iran, an ally of Hamas and Hezbollah.
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, Gallant and Blinken “discussed security tensions throughout the Middle East and Iranian aggression against Israel through its ‘proxies.” EFE
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