WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Wednesday (Oct 11) on a Middle East mission to prevent a wider war from erupting after an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas militants and an Isr
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks before boarding a plane, Oct 11, 2023, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, en route to Israel. WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Wednesday on a Middle East mission to prevent a wider war from erupting after an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas militants and an
He will work with regional US allies to try to secure the release of more than 100 people that Israel says Hamas holds captive, some of whom may be American citizens. A senior State Department official said Blinken will visit other countries in the region after making stops in Israel and Jordan. Israel has retaliated with air strikes that have killed more than 1,100 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military said its troops had killed at least 1,000 Palestinian gunmen who infiltrated from Gaza.
A top priority for Blinken will be to convey a message of deterrence, largely aimed at Iran and Iran-backed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, to stop a wider war from erupting. Since Saturday, Blinken has spoken on the phone with his counterparts from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Biden on Wednesday called the Hamas attack"sheer evil", reaffirmed US support for Israel and issued an apparent warning to Iran and Iran-backed groups against exploiting the conflict:"I have one word: Don't."
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