A critical diplomatic engagement as Israel prepared to launch a ground assault in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and Washington worked to contain the conflict, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday he had a “very productive” meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
The meeting was “very productive,” Blinken told a Reuters reporter upon his return to the hotel where the U.S. group was staying.
The meeting, which lasted for less than an hour, took place on the Crown Prince’s private property, according to a U.S. official.
Secretary Kerry “highlighted the United States’ unwavering focus on halting terrorist attacks by Hamas, securing the release of all hostages, and preventing the conflict from spreading,” according to a statement released by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
“The two affirmed their shared commitment to protecting civilians and to advancing stability across the Middle East and beyond,” said Miller.
On Sunday, the top U.S. ambassador met with the de facto ruler of the Kingdom as Gaza, a small coastal enclave home to 2.3 million Palestinians, prepared for Israel’s ground offensive.
To prevent the war from escalating into a wider confrontation and to aid in securing the return of hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants, Blinken has begun his most extended tour to the Middle East to date.
In the wake of the bloodiest attack on Israeli civilians in the country’s history eight days ago, Israel has promised to destroy the Islamist group Hamas. Hamas fighters ran amok through Israeli cities, shooting and wounding residents and taking hostages.
Iranian officials issued a warning late Saturday night, threatening “far-reaching consequences” if Israel did not cease its bombing.
Also, the government of Israel warned the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel’s northern neighbor, not to open a second front in the conflict, threatening the “destruction of Lebanon” if it did.
On Thursday, Blinken began his trip in Israel, where he expressed strong American support for Washington’s closest Middle Eastern ally in its assault against Hamas.
His travels since then have taken him to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan. After a quick stop in the United Arab Emirates, he flew back to Riyadh on Saturday night in preparation for a meeting with the Crown Prince the following morning.
Later on Sunday, he will probably leave for Egypt.
More than 2,300 people, including a quarter of a thousand children, were reportedly murdered, according to authorities in Gaza. Nighttime air raids left rescue personnel searching feverishly for possible survivors. There were reports of one million individuals fleeing their houses.
Saturday in Riyadh, Blinken spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan. Before their discussion, Blinken had stressed the importance of protecting people on all sides.
And we’re cooperating to accomplish just that, with a focus on creating safe zones in Gaza and opening pathways for aid to get to those who need it.
