Here's a look at what came out of Blinken's 11th trip to the Middle East
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s weeklong trip to the Middle East ended as expected without a cease-fire breakthrough for Gaza, but talks are being revived
LONDON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken's weeklong trip to the Middle East ended unexpectedly in London on Friday, but the lack of a cease-fire breakthrough for Gaza came as no surprise to U.S. and Arab officials, who described the growing regional conflicts as a “nightmare.”
The trip to Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia had been expected after President Joe Biden said this month that he would dispatch Blinken to the region following Israel’s killing of Hamas military chief Yahya Sinwar, a move that Blinken said helped open a window for new talks on a cease-fire proposal that has been languishing for months.
Blinken and other U.S. officials discussed various proposals that could potentially trigger the release of Israeli hostages and end the devastating war in Gaza. The main discussion this week was more focused on a post-war plan for Palestinian governance, reconstruction and security for the larger region.
The impact of the war was on full display on Blinken's last day in Tel Aviv, when shortly before departing for the airport Wednesday, air raid sirens blared at the hotel where U.S. officials and press had been staying. The Israeli military said two rockets fired into Israel from Lebanon were intercepted, with smoke visible from the hotel.
