Blinken insists on the establishment of a Palestinian state to end the war

Before heading to Israel to address “the future direction of the military campaign in Loop“, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkeninsisted today on the need to establish an independent Palestinian State to end the war, something that “will not be easy” to achieve.

“The future of the region must be one of integration, not division or conflict. And for that to happen, we need to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” Blinken told reporters from Saudi Arabia, his last stop on his Middle East tour before leaving for Israel.

The American, who is on his fourth tour of the region since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, recalled that the Palestinian enclave and the West Bank “should be united under a government led by Palestinians.”

“No one I speak to thinks any of this will be easy, everyone recognized the obstacles and no one thinks anything will happen overnight, but we agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover,” he said. diplomatic.

In this sense, he indicated that the Arab leaders with whom he has met these days in Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, “are prepared to assume the necessary commitments” and “make difficult decisions” to achieve of these objectives.

The “future direction” of the war

The American, who these days has been critical of Israeli operations in Gaza, revealed that he will discuss with the Israeli authorities “the future direction of the military campaign in Gaza,” which has left around 23,000 dead in three months, according to authorities. Gazans, as well as “do more to protect civilians.”

“We are now heading to Israel, where we will have the opportunity to share with Israeli leaders everything I have heard so far on this trip and also to speak with them about the future direction of the military campaign in Gaza,” Blinken said.

Likewise, he will insist “on the absolute imperative to do more to protect civilians” during Israeli military operations against the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Another issue he will discuss will be the importance of increasing humanitarian access to Gaza, where almost the entire population has been displaced by the war, and the “relentless efforts” of the United States “to bring back the hostages” held by the Islamist group Hamas.

“And we will talk about how we see the future of the region and of Israel, and I am convinced that there is a future path that can really bring lasting peace and security for Israel, that can ensure that October 7 never happens again and that can unite the region,” he stated.

Avoid the expansion of the conflict

Precisely, Blinken began this new tour of the Middle East due to the growing fears of the expansion of the Gaza war and the intensification of attacks between the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel on the common border, in addition to the actions of the Houthi rebels in Yemen. against merchant ships in the Red Sea.

“The Israelis have been very clear with us that they want to find a diplomatic way forward that creates the kind of security that allows Israelis to return to their homes,” Blinken said of the clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which have led to the displacement. of tens of thousands of people on both sides of the divide.

During the visit to Saudi Arabia, the American met with the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who also visited the region to address the de-escalation with the authorities of Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

“We compared notes on our conversations in the region and efforts to reduce tension,” said Borrell on his X (formerly Twitter) account, who met today in the Arab kingdom with the Saudi Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan.

During their respective meetings, both representatives have expressed their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State as a solution to end, not only the current war in Gaza, but also the historical conflict between Israel and Palestine and achieve peace in the Middle East. “The road will be difficult, but there is no alternative to peace,” said Borrell.