Palestine sees Blinken’s regional tours ‘fruitless’ amid Israeli onslaught

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH (AA) – Palestine on Thursday termed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s regional tours as “fruitless” amid Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Blinken arrived in Egypt on Thursday for his sixth regional tour since Israel launched its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

He held talks with officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss efforts to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. He is also scheduled to visit Israel on Friday.

“Blinken repeats his calls for an immediate cease-fire, an exchange of prisoners and hostages, protection of civilians and the entry of relief aid and warns against invading Rafah without protecting civilians,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, we don’t see significant tangible results from these shuttle tours or successes regarding the implementation of the US positions and demands,” it added.

The ministry said Israel escalates its “aggression” against the Palestinians with each regional tour launched by the top US diplomat.

“Israel continues its massacres by brutally bombing homes and facilities and maintaining its policy of starvation and thirst, deprivation of medicines, and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid,” it added.

At least 140 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli raid since Monday on the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, according to the Israeli military.

"This coincides with an unprecedented international failure to force the occupying state to fulfill its obligations towards civilians,” the ministry said.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and nearly 74,200 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war, now in its 167th day, has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in January issued an interim ruling ordering Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala