Blinken meets Arab leaders in diplomatic push over Gaza war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was holding more talks with Arab leaders on Monday as part of a diplomatic push to stop the war in Gaza spreading further.

Blinken met Abu Dhabi’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the United Arab Emirates and was due later on Monday to hold talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the oasis town of Al Ula before heading on to Israel.

Blinken visited Jordan and Qatar on Sunday, and sought to reassure Arab officials that the United States opposes the displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza, and instead wants Israel’s Muslim majority neighbours to play a role in the Strip’s future governance.

Blinken is making his fourth trip to the region since Hamas gunmen from Gaza attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, prompting Israel to launch its military offensive against the Palestinian militant group in the coastal enclave.

He is asking states to try to reduce tensions that have already sparked violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and led to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.

Blinken has been joined by US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking as Washington seeks to garner regional support for actions to counter the attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on commercial shipping.

Blinken said in Qatar on Sunday that the attacks had disrupted or diverted nearly 20% of global shipping and would make goods including food and fuel more expensive.

/MHK/