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Blinken returns back to Israel after tour in six Arab Nations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has returned to Israel for the second time in less than a week to consult with senior Israeli officials about discussions he had with Arab leaders over Israel’s war with Hamas.

The Associated Press has the story:

Blinken returns back to Israel after tour in six Arab Nations

Newslooks- TEL AVIV, Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has returned to Israel for the second time in less than a week to consult with senior Israeli officials about discussions he had with Arab leaders over Israel’s war with Hamas.

Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday after a six-nation tour of Arab states during which he heard the concerns of Arab leaders about an impending Israeli ground invasion of Gaza causing a humanitarian catastrophe for Palestinians and possibly igniting a broader regional conflict.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make statements to the media as the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on, inside The Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defense, after their meeting in Tel Aviv, Thursday Oct. 12, 2023. President Joe Biden is dispatching his top diplomat to Israel on an urgent mission to show U.S. support after the unprecedented attack by Hamas militants. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, pool)

His talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his national security team come as the White House is weighing a potential trip to Israel by President Joe Biden as early as this week. Blinken will also meet separately with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and opposition leader Yair Lapid.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shake hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in Amman, Jordan, Friday Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Biden, Blinken and other senior U.S. officials have pledged unwavering support for Israel as it responds to deadly Hamas attacks that have killed more than 1,400 Israelis since last week.

But as Israel’s plans for a massive military response to eradicate Hamas have gelled, Arab states and others have become increasingly alarmed at the prospect of mass civilian casualties and a major humanitarian crisis.

Egypt’s President Abelfatah El-Sissi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.

After visiting Israel last Thursday to express U.S. solidarity, Blinken toured the region, meeting with the leaders of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, all of whom have said civilians must be protected and given assistance to survive the Israeli operation.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tours the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue at the Abrahamic Family House, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Saturday Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

As those concerns have grown, the U.S. has also stepped up its emphasis on the importance of Israel respecting the laws of war regarding the treatment of civilians as it pursues Hamas. Blinken and other U.S. officials have been exploring ideas on setting up safe zones in the Gaza Strip and ensuring that badly needed humanitarian supplies reach civilians there.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, pool)

Blinken has twice extended his diplomatic mission and plans to return to Jordan after his stop in Israel.

U.S. officials have warned that the war between Israel and Hamas could escalate after cross-border clashes between Israel and militants from Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Palestinians pray next to the bodies of their relatives who were killed by an Israeli airstrike, at the hospital in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for talks on Monday, Iran said the United States should be held to account for its role in the conflict. 

American aircraft carriers have headed to the region and Israel said on Monday it would evacuate residents of 28 villages on the border with Lebanon after one came under a missile attack by Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Sunday. Israeli media said a civilian was killed.

In this photo provided by Reuters, Issam Abdallah, a videographer for the news agency, poses for a selfie while working in Maras, Turkey, on Feb. 11, 2023. Abdallah was killed Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, when an Israeli shell landed in a gathering of international journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon. Six other journalists were injured in the incident. (Issam Abdallah/Reuters via AP)

Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed on the Lebanese side of the border on Friday, and 6 other international journalists were wounded.

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