Western diplomats have begun a renewed scramble to prevent the Gaza war from spreading across the Middle East. After the killing of a Hamas leader in the Lebanese capital Beirut last week, there is a risk of the conflict spreading.
In this situation, on Saturday, the top diplomats of the United States and the European Union (EU) started a dual diplomatic tour of the Middle East. However, three months after the Israeli invasion of the Palestinian territories, indiscriminate attacks continue. Six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone strike in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell are on separate week-long tours of the Middle East. Blinken met senior officials in Istanbul before leaving for Greece.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Saturday that Blinken, in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stressed the need to prevent the spread of the conflict, release hostages, expand humanitarian aid and reduce civilian casualties. Blinken emphasized the need to work towards a lasting regional peace, which ensures Israel’s security and progress towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Erdogan is a fierce critic of Israel’s military action in Gaza. He avoided a meeting with Blinken during his visit to Ankara in November because of Washington’s staunch support for the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a meeting with Blinken, Fidan pointed to Israel’s growing aggression, saying it was a threat to the entire region. He called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, a permanent permit for aid deliveries, and negotiations for a two-state solution as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, at least 22,835 people have been killed in Gaza in the last three months by Israel’s indiscriminate attacks. 9,600 of them are children. Two journalists, including the son of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, were killed in an airstrike in Tel Aviv on Sunday.
