New Delhi: The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed the ongoing Israel and Palestine conflict with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and Egypt, State Department spokesperson Ned Price later briefed the media.
In separate phone calls, the representatives of the countries discussed ways to bring an end to the ongoing conflict. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and bring the current violence to an end.
The Secretary lamented the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives and urged engagement to prevent a deepening of the crisis. He also expressed his belief that Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal measures of freedom, dignity, security, and prosperity, Ned Price added.
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The leaders also discussed other important priorities, such as bolstering Saudi defences, achieving a comprehensive ceasefire and transition to a political process in Yemen, and continued progress on human rights.
Tension in the Middle East has caused alarm all across the world with leaders stepping in to intervene in the current conflict and bring a possible solution to the ongoing war between the two parties.
Meanwhile, Blinken also called on the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss their shared concern about the ongoing violence in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza and their engagement with partners in the region to bring peace.
"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Le Drian also spoke about their cooperation as OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries and emphasized the need for a long-term political settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict", the US State Department spokesperson said.
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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken also discussed in details the ongoing violence between Israeli and Palestinian with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza in light of the tragic loss of civilian life.
The Secretary highlighted the importance of the strong partnership with Qatar and thanked the Foreign Minister for Qatar’s role in advancing peace and security in the region.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and US Secretary Blinken also discussed the violence in Israel, West Bank, and Gaza and the leaders reiterated the call on all parties to deescalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children.
According to the US state department spokesperson, the leaders of the United States and Egypt highlighted the importance of the strong strategic partnership between the two nations and the Secretary thanked Egypt for their ongoing efforts to support an end to the violence.
The violence in Gaza entered a seventh consecutive day on Sunday, hours after President Biden spoke to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, protests erupted again in the occupied West Bank.
US President Biden in separate calls on Saturday urged the Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to broker a ceasefire to restore peace in the region.
While supporting Israel’s right to defend itself from rocket attacks by Hamas militants, President Biden had urged the Israeli Prime Minister to ensure the protection of civilians and journalists.
Meanwhile, the United Security Council has called for an immediate end to the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Describing the hostilities as "utterly appalling"' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that hopes of coexistence and peace between Palestinians and Israelis are being pushed even farther to the horizon.
The Secretary-General feared the violence could have devastating far-reaching consequences. The UN chief stressed that the only way forward is to return to negotiations towards a two-state solution, but the fighting is making this goal even more challenging.
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