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Biden and Blinken work to contain the Gaza war

US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on Thursday Oct 12, 2023 during a visit to show solidarity with Israel.

US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on Thursday Oct 12, 2023 during a visit to show solidarity with Israel.

Eyepress via Reuters
Willis Sparks
By Willis SparksNovember 02, 2023
Willis Sparks
Willis Sparks is a senior editor for GZERO Daily. He is also a Director in the Global Macro practice at Eurasia Group, where he has worked since 2005. He has made speeches on international politics on every continent except Antarctica. Willis holds degrees from Brown University, the Juilliard School, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. He also holds an honorary degree from the Moscow Art Theatre School. A native of Macon, Georgia, Willis has worked as a stuntman at New York's Metropolitan Opera. As a child, he declined an opportunity to spend an afternoon riding the Great American Scream Machine, a rollercoaster, with Ronald McDonald, for money. He has never regretted that decision.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv today. Before his trip, the State Department said he was going to Israel to “reiterate US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism … work to secure the immediate release of hostages, increase the pace and volume of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza for distribution to Palestinian civilians, and prevent the conflict from spreading.”

To this point, the United States has publicly expressed support for Israel’s security while privately urging the Israeli government to take every action possible to minimize harm to the Palestinians caught in the crossfire. The Biden administration has also urged the Israeli government to advance slowly into Gaza to allow time for diplomacy that might minimize the loss of life on both sides. On Thursday, Biden made these private pleas public with a request that Israel and Hamas militants “pause” fighting to allow time to free hostages held in Gaza, though he stopped short of expressing support for a formal cease-fire.

We can expect that both Biden’s and Blinken’s requests will be refused and that the White House will keep trying. Secretary Blinken will continue his eight-day road trip with stops in Jordan, Japan, South Korea, and India.

gazablinkennetanyahubidenmiddle eastpalestiniansisrael-palestinian conflictisrael

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