Blinken met with Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman for an hour in Riyadh and is heading to Qatar and then Britain for further talks with officials to try to broker a halt to Israeli fighting with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A State Department spokesman said in a statement that Blinken emphasized to bin Salman “the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end and releasing all hostages.” Hamas is believed to be still holding about 100 captives, although a third of them may be dead.
Blinken and bin Salman “continued discussions on how to establish security, governance, and reconstruction in the post-conflict period,” the statement said.
Blinken said ending the war with Hamas must be done in a way that keeps the Iran-backed militants out of Gaza and ensures Israeli troops do not stay there.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar presents a “real opportunity” to achieve an agreement to free the remaining hostages still being held by the militant group in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv before flying to Saudi Arabia, Blinken said Israel has achieved several successes in the war against Hamas, including degrading the group’s military capabilities.
The top U.S. diplomat said what remains is bringing the hostages home and bringing the war to an end.
He said plans for a post-war Gaza, including issues such as governance, security, reconstruction, and what the international community can do to aid Palestinians, will be the topic of Blinken’s discussions with Arab partners in the coming days.
The State Department said Blinken will meet with Arab counterparts Friday in London following a stop Thursday in Qatar.
