ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a challenging diplomatic tour of the Middle East in Turkey on Monday. Despite facing obstacles in gaining regional consensus on alleviating civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas, Blinken’s efforts were not without progress.
The meeting between Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan took place in Ankara, following a whirlwind weekend of travel that encompassed visits to Israel, Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus, and Iraq. The purpose of these trips was to rally support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses,” aiming to quell Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.
Prior to departing Turkey, Blinken stated, “All of this is a work in progress. We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”
Blinken’s shuttle diplomacy occurred as Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory. It is expected that troops will enter the city on Monday or Tuesday, engaging in street-by-street combat with militants who have been utilizing an extensive network of tunnels. Unfortunately, casualties are projected to rise on both sides as the month-long war has already claimed over 9,700 Palestinian lives.
Blinken aims to utilize pauses in the war to facilitate a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas since the deadly incursion into southern Israel on October 7. He emphasized, “We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that they can take to minimize civilian casualties… We’re working very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.” He also added, “We are very focused on the hostages held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home.”
Although Blinken did not meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been openly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, protests against Blinken’s visit were held. Demonstrators belonging to an Islamist group waved Turkish and Palestinian flags, displaying anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the Foreign Ministry. A separate rally took place outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, with participants holding a banner reading, “No to genocide!”.
Blinken’s mission, his second in the region since the beginning of the war, has encountered limited support for efforts to contain the conflict’s aftermath. Israel has rejected the idea of pauses, while Arab and Muslim nations are calling for an immediate cease-fire due to the escalating casualties among Palestinian civilians. U.S. officials are striving to persuade Israel of the strategic importance of adhering to the laws of war, protecting non-combatants, and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.
The international tide seems to be shifting away from sympathy for Israel and towards revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza circulate globally. Both the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers, at a joint news conference with Blinken in Amman, stated that Israel’s actions could no longer be justified as self-defense, as they amount to collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
As Blinken departs for Asia, where the Gaza conflict will be a top concern among other global crises, protests and clashes erupted during his visit to the West Bank and Iraq. Efforts to achieve a full cease-fire and prevent further civilian casualties continue amidst escalating tensions and opposition.
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Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.
