Blinken in Jordan reaffirms need for 'increased, sustained' humanitarian aid for Gaza
In a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken "underscored our shared commitment to the protection of civilians" and the need for "increased, sustained" humanitarian aid in Gaza, the State Department said.
"Secretary Blinken also expressed concern regarding the increasing violence in the West Bank and emphasized the U.S. commitment to working with partners towards a durable and sustainable peace in the region, to include the establishment of a Palestinian state, a shared priority of both the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The secretary had earlier on Saturday met with his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts. The U.S. and those countries share "the same fundamental interest and objective: to end this conflict in a way that ensures lasting peace and security in the region," Blinken told reporters.
He said he also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi about ways to accelerate humanitarian aid to Gaza and protect Palestinian civilians.
"The United States supports Israel's right to defense against Hamas, a terrorist organization that attacked it brutally and that cares not a whit about the Palestinian people or their futures," Blinken said. "This is the same right that each of our countries has. But as Israel conducts its campaign, how it does it matters."
Blinken is expected on Sunday to arrive in Ankara, Turkey, where he's scheduled to meet with President Recep Tayyep Erdoğan and other local officials.