US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan as Israel-Hamas war rages

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Saturday after leaving Israel. Blinken arrived in Amman late on Friday and will also join a meeting with foreign ministers from five Arab countries, including a representative from the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmud Abbas. In Israel, Blinken talked with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the idea of “humanitarian pauses” to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and to provide aid to the people in Gaza. However, Netanyahu insisted that there can’t be a truce until Hamas releases the hostages. The month-old war was triggered when the Islamist Hamas which rules Gaza launched bloody raids across the border into Israel on October 7. Israeli officials say the militants killed more than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took 241 hostages, including Israelis, foreigners and dual nationals. The health ministry in Gaza says more than 9,220 people have been killed in Israeli bombardments, most of them children or women. Jordan said in a statement Friday the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as well as a PA representative will meet Blinken in Amman to discuss the war, reported AFP. Blinken’s trip comes amid increasing international fears that the conflict could spread. A foreign ministry statement said the Amman talks will focus on “repercussions… of the dangerous escalation which threatens security throughout the region”. With inputs from agencies