Blinken in Middle East, urges ‘calm’ as Israel-Palestinian conflict flares
- Top US diplomat kicked off his regional tour in Cairo, commending President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for ‘Egypt’s important role in promoting stability’
- He then headed to Israel, which is reeling from an attack that killed 7 on Friday, a day after deadliest army raid in years in the occupied West Bank claimed 10 lives
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel on Monday and urged both sides to take steps to ease a recent spike in tension with the Palestinians.
“It is the responsibility of everyone to take steps to calm tensions rather than inflame them,” he said.
Earlier, he kicked off his Middle East tour in Cairo. Washington’s top diplomat, after meeting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egypt’s foreign minister, then left for Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Israel is reeling from an attack that killed seven civilians outside a synagogue in annexed east Jerusalem on Friday, a day after the deadliest army raid in years in the occupied West Bank claimed 10 lives.
“We’ve seen horrific terrorist attacks in the last couple of days that we condemn and deplore,” Blinken told Saudi TV channel Al Arabiya.
In a press conference in Cairo on Monday, Blinken urged “all parties to calm things down and de-escalate tensions” while also stressing the “importance of working for a two-state solution”.