U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, who is visiting the Middle East, announced that he would visit five Arab countries to prevent clashes from escalating amid increasingly tense Israeli-Palestinian situations.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken held a press conference in Israel on the 12th, and announced that he would visit five countries on the 15th: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE = United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar.
In Jordan, he will also meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
As tensions increase, such as the Israeli military strengthening its stance of invading the Gaza Strip, which is effectively controlled by the Islamic organization Hamas, the aim is to prevent the escalation of the clashes and to encourage countries to exert influence toward the release of hostages held by Hamas.
When asked why Hamas launched a large-scale attack, Blinken said, "There is no definitive answer," but added: "We have been helping to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite Islamist organization Hezbollah, and Iran," he said, adding that he may have sought to obstruct the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, a senior Pentagon official told reporters that Austin will visit Israel on the 5th to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Galante to demonstrate his commitment to Israel's security.