BRUSSELS — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to the Middle East this week as the United States hopes to find a way to extend the ceasefire in Gaza and free more hostages, the department said Monday of state. This will be his third trip to the region since the war between Israel and Hamas began last month.
Blinken will visit Israel and the West Bank after attending meetings focused on Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels and Skopje, North Macedonia, where NATO and NATO foreign ministers are meeting for peace and security in Europe.
Israel has agreed to suspend its military operations in exchange for the gradual release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attacks on Israel. The deal was set to expire on Monday, but was extended for two more days, meaning the extension will expire just as Blinken arrives in Israel.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the United States hoped to see the pause extended further, but was dependent on Hamas continuing to release the hostages.
In Israel and the West Bank, Blinken “will discuss Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international humanitarian law, as well as ongoing efforts to secure the release of remaining hostages, protect civilian life during Israeli operations in Gaza, and accelerate the humanitarian aid to civilians. in Gaza,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
He said Blinken would also discuss the principles of a post-conflict Gaza, as well as the need to establish an independent Palestinian state and prevent the conflict from expanding.
In the occupied West Bank, Blinken is expected to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Blinken and other U.S. officials have said they believe the Palestinian Authority should play an important role in governing Gaza after the conflict.
From Israel and the West Bank, Blinken will travel to the United Arab Emirates for discussions with regional leaders who will be in Dubai to attend the COP28 climate summit.
Blinken has engaged in fierce diplomacy to try to prevent the spread of the conflict in Gaza, expand the provision of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in the territory, secure the release of hostages and ensure that foreigners and doubles nationals leave Gaza by land to go to Egypt.
On each of his two previous trips, Blinken visited Israel and Jordan several times. Between the two trips, he also made stops in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Blinken will arrive in Israel after attending a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Skopje. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he plans to attend the OSCE meeting, which could pave the way for a U.S.-Russian confrontation over Ukraine.
In Brussels, Blinken will participate in the two-day NATO gathering, which will include the first foreign ministers-level meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body created by alliance leaders at their last summit to improve cooperation and coordination and help prepare Kyiv for possible membership.
“Allies will continue to support Ukraine’s self-defense until Russia ends its war of aggression,” said Jim O’Brien, the top U.S. diplomat for Europe.
The NATO meeting will also address tensions in the Western Balkans, where there are calls for NATO to increase its military presence in response to fears that hostility between Serbia and Kosovo could escalate into full-blown conflict.
Violence between the two countries has broken out twice in recent months, and Western countries fear that Russia is trying to sow unrest in the Balkans to distract from the war in Ukraine.
Last week, Albania’s prime minister urged NATO to further strengthen its military forces in Kosovo and secure the country’s borders with Serbia, warning that recent ethnic violence in Kosovo could potentially trigger a wider Balkan conflict. NATO has already boosted its military presence in Kosovo – established after the 1999 bombing campaign against Serbia – with around 1,000 additional troops and heavier weapons, bringing its deployment there to around 4,500 troops.
Blinken will emphasize U.S. and NATO support for democracy and stability in the region, including their commitment to supporting all countries’ aspirations to join the European Union, O’Brien said.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s official declaration of independence in 2008. Both countries want to join the European Union, which mediates dialogue between the former enemies. Brussels warned the two countries that refusing to compromise would jeopardize their chances of joining the bloc.
NATO ministers will also discuss plans for the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit, to be held in Washington in July 2024.
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