UPDATE - US state secretary vows to push for Gaza cease-fire in upcoming Saudi, Egypt visit

UPDATES WITH MORE COMMENTS BY US SECRETARY OF STATE

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt will focus on promoting a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and discussing the "right architecture" for Middle East peace.

The purpose of the trip is "of course to push for an agreement on a cease-fire and the release of hostages," Blinken said at a joint news conference in Manila with Philippines' Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo.

“We have also impressed upon Israel the imperative of having a plan for Gaza for when the conflict ends, which we hope will be as soon as possible, consistent with the needs of Israel,” he said.

Besides pushing for a cease-fire, he said he would discuss with Arab leaders the “right architecture for lasting regional peace.”

“We continue to face a horrific humanitarian situation for children, women, for men in Gaza,” the US top diplomat said, adding that the entire Palestinian population in the besieged Gaza needs humanitarian assistance.

Hundred percent of the Gaza population is facing severe food insecurity, Blinken said during a news conference broadcast live from Manila by multiple media outlets.

"That is the first time that entire population has been so classified," he explained, citing different assessment reports.

Blinken said it is incumbent on Israel to "make it a priority to protect civilians and to provide for those who desperately need humanitarian assistance."

About the over 120 journalists killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, he said, "Journalists are increasingly being under fire for their work, in some cases literally, under fire."

“We know the number of journalists who lost their lives in Gaza. As a basic matter of principle, we want to access journalists wherever there is a conflict so that the world can know,” he added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 31,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in the enclave, and over 73,700 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war 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 is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

- Philippines ‘extremely successful’ in asserting its rights in South China Sea: US official

Reaffirming the US’ “ironclad” commitment to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), Blinken said Manila is “extremely successful in pursuing and asserting its rights under the law.”

He accused China of violating international law and Manila’s rights, which provoked a reaction from the Philippines and many other countries.

The US stands by the (MD) treaty and unwavering commitment to the Philippines, he said, adding that Article 4 of that treaty applies to any armed attacks on Filipino armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft, including coast guards anywhere in the South China Sea.

On Aug. 30, 1951, the US and the Philippines signed a treaty in which each party acknowledged "that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety."

When asked whether the US and its allies, including the Philippines, are not circling China in the region, Blinken responded that Washington’s alliances are “not directed against anyone or anything.”

“They are for trying to realize the positive vision that all of the countries involved share – of free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.

Responding to another question on Niger’s demand for US troops' withdrawal, Blinken said: “We made very clear in Niger, including very recently, that we had number of very real concerns in several areas and we are troubled by the path that Niger was on… we are in touch, we remain in touch… and we discuss with them the path forward.”

Niger's junta announced on Saturday that it had canceled a defense cooperation agreement with the US signed in 2012.

“The government of Niger, considering the aspirations and interests of its people, responsibly decides to denounce with immediate effect the agreement” that permitted US military personnel and civilian employees from the American Department of Defense on Niger’s territory, Nigerien government spokesman Amadou Abdramane said in a statement broadcast on national television.