The US State Department issued a statement indicating that Secretary of State Antony Blinken held separate phone calls with his Saudi, Qatari, and Egyptian counterparts. According to the statement, the main subject of the talks was the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Within the scope of the Secretary’s cable diplomacy, Blinken called his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. During the call, the two top diplomats exchanged views on ways to provide calmness in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, the State Department said.
Issuing a statement following the call, the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that the latest Israeli attacks targeting worshippers at the Al Aqsa Mosque, as well as the Gaza Strip, were discussed. The Qatari Minister emphasized the importance of the international community’s urgent action to bring an end to the Israeli violence against civilians in Gaza, the statement added.
The rhetoric that the two countries’ ministries used in their statements is significant to understand the two countries’ approach to the recent incident.
In the meantime, a group of US senators issued a statement calling for a ceasefire. In the statement led by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Todd Young, US Senators said “As a result of Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s response, both sides must recognize that too many lives have been lost and must not escalate the conflict further.”
The State Department issued another statement regarding the call between Blinken and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. According to the statement, the US Secretary renewed his call on all parties “to reduce tensions and bring an end to the violence, which has cost the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children,” during the phone call.
Antony Blinken discussed the latest developments in Palestine and in the region with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan, as well. The two top officials reviewed the ongoing attempts to ensure peace and stability in the region, the State Department said.
Despite all calls for a ceasefire by the international community, Israel has maintained its aggression against Palestinians.
