The war in Gaza is intensifying/ Blinken will visit Israel and Jordan

2023-11-01 22:59:14, Kosova & Bota CNA

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and Jordan this week as Israel's war on the Gaza Strip and international criticism intensify.

The US State Department announced on Wednesday that Blinken will leave Washington on Thursday and be in Israel and Jordan on Friday, and that other Middle East stops are possible for him.

Blinken had visited Israel shortly after Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on October 7. He traveled three times to Israel and six Arab countries during her visit.

Jordan announced on Wednesday that it has recalled its ambassador to Israel and will not allow Israel's ambassador to Jordan to return to the country. She said she will not change these decisions until the conflict in Gaza is over.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken would reiterate the Biden administration's support for Israel's right to self-defense, but also stress the importance of minimizing civilian casualties and ensuring that humanitarian aid reach innocent Palestinians in Gaza.

Securing the release of hundreds of hostages being held by the militant group Hamas in Gaza, facilitating the passage of Palestinians with foreign passports and foreigners from Gaza to Egypt, and preventing the outbreak of a wider regional war will be issues. key to his agenda, Miller said.

Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called on the US Congress on Tuesday to immediately send aid to Israel and Ukraine, arguing that broad support by US lawmakers for the aid would send a strong signal to opponents in the whole world.

Austin and Blinken testified Aug. 31 before the Senate Appropriations Committee as Congress considers President Joe Biden's request for $105 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine, Israel and US border security.

More than 8,500 Palestinians have been killed during the war, most of them women and children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Tuesday, without distinguishing between civilians and fighters killed. This figure cannot be independently verified.

Over 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, most of them civilians, during Hamas attacks. The militants have also kidnapped close to 240 people, according to the Israeli authorities./ REL