Blinken lands in Israel in start of Mideast tour to shore up Gaza truce
Secretary of State is set meet senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, as well as Palestinian leader Abbas to discuss funneling of financial aid to Gaza through the PA; Blinken also set to visit Egypt and Jordan during his first official tour of the region
Ynet, Associated Press |
Published: 05.25.21 , 09:07
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday morning at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza ceasefire.
Blinken is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the region since President Joe Biden assumed office in January of this year. His arrival came just days after the end of the 11-day war between Israel and terror factions in Gaza.
USA TODAY
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the Biden administration would reopen its consulate in Jerusalem, which had served as a de facto embassy for the Palestinians until former President Donald Trump shuttered it in 2019. That’s an important way for our country to engage with and provide support to the Palestinian people, Blinken told reporters after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Blinken also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials Tuesday.
Netanyahu said he and Blinken discussed ways to prevent Hamas from restocking its supply of rockets and other means of aggression. The two men also tangled over the Biden administration s efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement that sought to limit Tehran s nuclear ambitions.
Blinken announces U.S. aid to Gaza, pledges to reopen Jerusalem consulate
By Ali Sawafta and Jeffrey Heller
Reuters
RAMALLAH, West Bank/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged on a Middle East mission on Tuesday that Washington would provide new aid to help rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a ceasefire between its Hamas Islamist rulers and Israel.
Hoping to reverse a move taken by former President Donald Trump that angered Palestinians, Blinken said the United States would advance the process of re-opening the Jerusalem consulate that had served as its diplomatic channel to the Palestinians.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken took off for the Middle East on Monday to press the Israelis, Palestinians and regional players to build on and strengthen last
Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Blinken said the United States would provide an additional $75 million in development and economic aid to the Palestinians in 2021, $5.5 million in immediate disaster relief for Gaza and $32 million to U.N. Palestinian aid agency.