JERUSALEM (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza cease-fire.
Blinken, who landed at Ben Gurion International Airport early Tuesday, is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the region since President Joe Biden assumed office. He was welcomed on the tarmac by Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and other officials.
Blinken: US Will Aid Gaza Without Helping Hamas
Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he departs, Monday, May 24, 2021, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Blinken is en route to the Middle East. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
25 May 2021 The Associated Press | By Joseph Krauss
JERUSALEM U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Tuesday to “rally international support” to aid Gaza following a devastating war, as he began a regional tour to shore up last week’s cease-fire.
Blinken, who spoke after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the U.S. would work to address the “grave humanitarian situation” in the coastal territory but would also ensure that Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers do not benefit from reconstruction assistance.
Updated:
May 25, 2021 12:15 IST
Anthony Blinken is expected to focus on coordinating reconstruction without engaging with Gaza’s militant Hamas.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, upon arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv, Israel on May 25, 2021. | Photo Credit:
Reuters
Anthony Blinken is expected to focus on coordinating reconstruction without engaging with Gaza’s militant Hamas.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza cease-fire.
He will face the same obstacles that have stifled a wider peace process for more than a decade, including a hawkish Israeli leadership, Palestinian divisions and deeply rooted tensions surrounding Jerusalem and its holy sites.
<p><span>JERUSALEM (May 25, 2021) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Tuesday to “rally international support” to aid Gaza following a devastating war there while keeping any assistance out of the hands of its terrorist Hamas rulers, as he began a regional tour to shore up last week’s cease-fire.</span></p>