Blinken sees path to peace and reconstruction in Gaza

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CAIRO (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his Middle East tour Thursday in talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fatah el-Sisi, as U.S. officials said they had achieved some success in gaining regional support for the reconstruction and governance plans for Gaza once Israel’s war with Hamas ends.

But progress is uncertain, as the far-right Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes certain crucial aspects and it is unclear whether it can be convinced to accept them.

Still, Blinken got previously reluctant Arab and Muslim countries to begin postwar planning for Gaza in discussions with the governments of Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Palestinian Authority. This was Blinken’s fourth mission to the Middle East since the war began in October.

The official’s main objectives were to get post-conflict hypotheses started to be discussed and to alleviate fears of an extension of the Gaza war.

Each country—along with Greece, which Blinken also visited—committed to participating in the overall planning, although each country’s contributions remain to be determined, and Israel has remained on the sidelines.

“In our previous trips, I think there was a reluctance to talk about some of the issues of the next day in terms of long-term regional stability and security,” Blinken told reporters at the Cairo airport after his meeting with el-Sisi. “But now we find that our partners are very focused on that and want to deal with those issues.”

“It’s clear that they are willing to take steps to get things done, to make commitments that are necessary for both the future of Gaza and the long-term peace and security of the region,” Blinken said.

However, Arab support depends not only on ending the conflict, but also on creating a path towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state, which Netanyahu opposes.