Blinken Meets Qatari Officials; Discusses Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and Protection of Civilians

Anthony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, met on Saturday in Amman, the capital of Jordan, with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. According to reports, they discussed various topics including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and emphasized the importance of protecting civilians, providing more humanitarian aid, and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside Gaza. Blinken also thanked Qatar for its efforts in ensuring the exit of American citizens and foreign nationals from Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas, including two American citizens, and continued efforts to prevent the escalation of conflicts. Qatar has been a key negotiator in talks with Hamas amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza. It is noteworthy that Anthony Blinken, during his second Middle Eastern tour after the deadly attack by Palestinian militants on Israel on October 7, rejected the requests of Arab government officials for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. According to Blinken, such a move would give Palestinian militants the opportunity to regroup and target Israel again. In a rare public disagreement, the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt, who were present alongside Blinken at a joint press conference, repeatedly emphasized the need to stop the fighting and stated that the killing of thousands of civilians cannot be justified as self-defense. The foreign ministers of these two neighboring Arab countries rejected the public discussion about Gaza after the removal of Hamas, stating that immediate focus should be on efforts to stop the fighting. Blinken said, 'A ceasefire at this moment would only allow Hamas to survive, regroup, and repeat what they did on October 7.' He added, 'No nation, none of us will accept such a thing... Therefore, it is important to reiterate the right and duty of Israel to defend itself.'