Antony Blinken Made An Unannounced Trip To The Middle East

At each stop, the U.S. official offered firm U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself, but also stressed it must abide by the laws of war.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to the Middle East.

The U.S. official traveled to several territories including Ramallah, Cyprus, and Baghdad. Blinken held discussions with foreign leaders to reiterate the urgency to protect civilians and increase humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza.

During his trip, Blinken also repeatedly warned the conflict between Israel and Hamas should remain confined. He explained the U.S. is not seeking to widen the conflict or participate in escalating tensions, especially with Iran, who recently attacked U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, which prompted a response strike by the U.S..

At each stop, the U.S. official offered firm U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself, but also stressed it must abide by the laws of war. To that, he made the case that Israel should implement rolling humanitarian pauses to its airstrikes and ground operations, which is a request that is being backed by other leaders.