Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tour

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his latest urgent Mideast tour on Thursday in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as American officials claimed modest success in getting wide regional support for planning for reconstruction and governance in Gaza after Israel’s war with Hamas ends.

Blinken secured buy-in from previously reluctant Arab and Muslim nations to begin such planning in discussions with the leaders of Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain over the weeklong mission, his fourth to the Middle East since the war began in October.

Each country — along with Greece, which Blinken also visited — pledged to participate in the general planning, although precise contributions have yet to be determined.

“On our previous trips here, I think there was a reluctance to talk about some of the day-after issues in terms of long-term stability and security on a regional basis,” Blinken told reporters at Cairo's airport after his meeting with el-Sissi. “But now we’re finding that our partners are very focused on that and wanting to engage on those questions.”