US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has finished his West Asia tour and swiftly headed to the G7 summit in Japan.
Unfortunately, the tour failed to reach a consensus on ‘humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza.
During his four-day tour, Blinken met with leaders from Palestine, Israel, Iraq, and Jordan. In his final stop in Ankara, he talked with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
He openly admitted that his efforts to secure greater restraint in Israel’s assault on Gaza were still a work in progress.
He expressed shared concern about the impact on Palestinians, particularly innocent civilians, and mentioned ongoing discussions with Israel to reduce civilian casualties and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
West Asian nations had urged the US to use its influence to stop the conflict and implement a ceasefire. Some believe the US has not done so, thinking the complete elimination of Hamas is possible at an acceptable cost.
Despite these efforts, the situation in the region remains tense. Escalation occurred on the Lebanon-Israel border, with clashes between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah intensifying.
In a separate development, Turkiye withdrew its ambassador from Israel on Saturday morning, a move supported by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.
“Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,” according to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President, Türkiye.
