Antony Blinken completed a tour of the Middle East in which he consolidated the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, met Wednesday in Jordan, where he met the king Abdalá II, a tour of the Middle East aimed at consolidating the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

The US diplomat meets the Egyptian president for the first time Abdel Fatah al Sisi, in which the country played a role key to silencing the guns in Gaza, before flying to Jordan, where half of the 10 million inhabitants are of Palestinian origin.

“The ceasefire was important”, Blinken pointed out to reporters after his meeting with the Jordanian king. “But we don’t see the ceasefire as an end, but as the start of something that needs to be built”, He said.

“Our talks today in Cairo and Amman, in fact this whole trip, reflect a fundamental reality”added. “If we want to avoid a return to violence in recent weeks, the countries of the region must help and support each other,” he said.

For his part, Abdallah II underlined in a press release from the Royal Palace “The need to preserve the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and not to affect its holy places”, administered by Jordan, a country bound by a peace treaty with Israel and where half of the 10 million inhabitants are of Palestinian origin.

The previous meeting with Egyptian President Sisi lasted about an hour and a half. They were present Sameh shukri, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Abas Kamel, head of the Egyptian intelligence services (SIG), who played an active but discreet role in the negotiations.

I believe we both agree that Palestinians and Israelis have the same right to live in peace and security and to enjoy equal levels of freedom, opportunity and dignity. And we work together to achieve this

In a meeting with American diplomats, he described Egypt as “A true and effective partner” that he helped put an end to the recent conflict and that he “is trying to build something better”. El-Sissi spoke with Biden last week, both before and after the Gaza truce.

“I think we both agree that Palestinians and Israelis have the same right to live in peace and security and to enjoy equal levels of freedom, opportunity and dignity. And we are working together to achieve this ”, Blinken said.

Al Sisi subsequently issued a statement claiming that the latest outbreak of violence demonstrated the urgent need to resume direct negotiations. He asked for a “active participation of the United States“To bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

Before leaving for Egypt, Blinken meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, which he congratulated on Twitter for his “promotion of coexistence, tolerance and peace”.

Blinken confirmed in a statement that the United States is “providing “over $ 360 million in aid to the Palestinians, including $ 38 million in humanitarian aid. Qatar announced on Wednesday that it would grant a $ 500 million in aid for the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave.

Financial aid

Blinken also said he is << Collaboration avec le Congrès des États-Unis >> to provide $ 75 million in aid to the economy and development. It is also planned a Emergency assistance of $ 5.5 million for the Gaza Strip, severely affected by Israeli bombing.

The head of the Hamas political bureau in Gaza, Yahya Sinouar, assured Wednesday that “No penny” of international aid would be misappropriated.

Aid must not go to this terrorist group, “Which only brought misery and despair to Gaza”, Blinken, who met the Israeli prime minister on Tuesday, said: Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem, then with the Palestinian president, Mahmud Abas, in Ramallah.

During these discussions, he assured that he wanted to “rebuild” the relationship of the United States with the Palestinians., recognizing Israel’s “right” to defend itself.

Blinken also said it was “Possibility of resuming efforts to achieve a two-state solution”, Israeli and Palestinian, whom Donald Trump had put aside.

Regional power

Egypt and Jordan are both allies of the United States who have peace agreements with Israel and often mediate between Israel and the Palestinians.. Egypt has relations with Hamas, but at the same time it is imposing a blockade on Gaza with Israel in order to prevent more weapons from reaching the Islamist militia.

The Egyptian mediators, present on the Israeli and Palestinian side, strive to consolidate a ceasefire that does not include any conditions for cessation of hostilities nor does it make plans for the reconstruction of Gaza.

With your mediation, Egypt intends to regain its historic regional role. Friday’s ceasefire is a diplomatic victory for Sisi’s government, more accustomed to receiving criticism for the human rights situation in its country. In 2014, the Egyptian government has already made the ceasefire possible after the bloody weeks-long war between Israel and Hamas.

(With information from AFP and AP)

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