Middle East

Blinken Meets Saudi Crown Prince on Mideast Push for Pause in Gaza War

Author: Editors Desk, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Hwaida Saad, Vivian Yee and Michael Levenson Source: N.Y Times

February 5, 2024 at 22:29

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Monday.Credit...Pool photo by Mark Schiefelbein

The top U.S. diplomat spoke with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler as he sought to broker a pause in the fighting. His visit came the same day a drone struck a Syrian base used by U.S. forces and their allies.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken began a diplomatic push in the Middle East on Monday for a deal that would pause the war in the Gaza Strip and release the hostages there, even as a drone struck a military base used by American troops and allied forces in eastern Syria.

Mr. Blinken, making his fifth trip to the region since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, met in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in the first stop on a trip that will also include meetings in Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank.

Speaking with the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Mr. Blinken “underscored the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict,” the State Department said. It added that they discussed “an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

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