US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a major military operation by Israel in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah would be “a mistake.”
Blinken called on Thursday the looming ground offensive “unnecessary” in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, adding, “There is a better way to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Hamas.”
The US Secretary of State also stated that “gaps are narrowing” in ongoing talks in Qatar aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
The United States is “continuing to push for an agreement in Doha,” Blinken said during the press conference, adding “it’s difficult to get there, but I believe it is still possible.”
Talking about his meeting with Saudi officials yesterday, he said that the path towards normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, delayed by the war in Gaza, is achieving “very good progress.”
Blinken added that his visit to the Gulf Kingdom on Wednesday had yielded “a very good discussion” with Saudi leaders on closer ties between the two states.
The top US diplomat said he could not “put a time frame on it,” but that discussions were “getting close to a point where we’ll have agreements.”
With AFP
