Blinken travels to Middle East amid Israel-Hamas war

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday left for his second trip to the Middle East in less than a month, as Israel continues to wage war against the terrorist group Hamas. He will visit Israel and Jordan during the trip—the announcement Wednesday came the same day that Jordan pulled its ambassador back from Israel.

What will this second trip aim to accomplish? The State Department said Blinken will visit Tel Aviv, Israel, and reiterate that the United States supports Israel’s ability to defend itself against terrorism “consistent with international humanitarian law.” In Amman, Jordan, Blinken plans to reiterate the United States’ commitment to supporting humanitarian aid entering Gaza and the creation of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a humanitarian pause in the fighting in Gaza after Israeli troops entered the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said his country will not pause its military efforts to destroy Hamas.

Dig deeper: Read A.S. Ibrahim’s column in WORLD Opinions about what Hamas represents.