JEDDAH: The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday to engage in discussions regarding the recent developments in Gaza, as stated by the US embassy in Riyadh.
During his stay, Blinken will also address matters concerning the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with Saudi officials.
Scheduled for Thursday, Blinken is set to journey to Egypt, which shares borders with Gaza and has previously participated in mediation endeavors.
In both Jeddah and Cairo, Blinken will focus on initiatives aimed at achieving an “immediate ceasefire agreement to ensure the liberation of all remaining hostages,” according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, speaking on Tuesday.
Subsequently, Blinken will proceed to Israel on Friday, where he will deliberate on “ongoing negotiations to secure the release of all hostages” and strategies to enhance aid distribution to Gaza, as conveyed by Miller on Wednesday.
During his visit to the Philippines on Tuesday, Blinken highlighted the dire food insecurity experienced by the entire population of Gaza, marking it as the first such classification of an entire populace.
Of significant concern to the US, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations is the situation in Rafah, located in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, the population in this small area has swelled to approximately 1.5 million due to the influx of hundreds of thousands displaced from other parts of the territory.
US President Joe Biden has exerted pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from a potential full-scale ground operation, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
