The agency said that after a few weeks of a hectic trip to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken returns to the region again, but this time with a somewhat more precise message than the one he presented in the wake of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the resistance in response to the repeated attacks by the Israeli occupation on... Palestinians and Islamic sanctities.

As he did last month, Blinken will confirm Washington’s support for Israel, and will try to prevent a broader war in the Middle East during his visit to Israel and Jordan starting Friday, but Blinken’s agenda this time is more crowded and complex in light of the intensification of the conflict and the Biden administration’s struggle with interests and feelings of anger at the local levels. And international.

Blinken's most prominent files

The US Secretary of State will push for the evacuation of more foreigners from Gaza and provide more humanitarian aid to the Strip. It will pressure Israel to curb Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. He will stress the importance of protecting civilians, although the administration has not yet offered any criticism of Israel over the strikes that killed thousands of civilians in Gaza.

So while Blinken will call for a brief cessation of air strikes and fighting for humanitarian purposes, he will continue to oppose growing calls for a broader ceasefire.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, on Wednesday, November 1, expressed his belief that there must be a humanitarian “truce” in the war between Israel and Hamas in order to get the “prisoners” out.

Post-war Gaza

But Blinken will also introduce a new item to the list of American priorities; It is necessary for Israel and its neighbors to begin considering what Gaza will look like after the Israeli aggression, who will govern it, how it can be made safe and stable, and how to establish an independent Palestinian state.

US officials, including Biden and Blinken, have repeatedly said they do not believe Israel's reoccupation of Gaza is possible, which Israel agrees with.

But the next step has been little considered, other than brief comments made by Blinken on Tuesday, October 31, in testimony before Congress when he spoke of the possibility of revitalizing the Palestinian Authority and perhaps Arab countries and international organizations playing an important role in Gaza after the conflict.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Blinken will speak about “the United States’ commitment to working with partners to create the conditions for achieving a lasting and sustainable peace in the Middle East, including the establishment of a Palestinian state that reflects the aspirations of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Transforming the international perception of war

The change in messaging reflects a shift in international perception of the war, about which Blinken has heard a lot since his last trip to the region when he traveled to Israel and six Arab countries — multiple times — in a frenetic shuttle diplomacy mission that required several last-minute schedule changes.

His itinerary after Jordan remains uncertain, although he will attend the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Japan next week, before traveling to South Korea and India for broader discussions, which will include the Russian war in Ukraine and China.

According to the American agency, the shift in public opinion was clear. After Israel received a wave of global sympathy following the October 7 attacks, it now faces widespread criticism for its massive military response, which many believe is fueling a global rise in anti-Semitic violence, in addition to incidents targeting Muslims.

As the situation in Gaza deteriorates, US officials are keenly aware that they risk serious damage to relations with the Arab world and beyond if the United States fails to use its influence with its close ally Israel to prevent an already existing humanitarian catastrophe from worsening.

Blinken will enter into a "diplomatic spiral"

What confirms these fears is that Blinken will enter into a diplomatic whirlpool between Israel and Jordan, which on Wednesday, November 1, summoned its ambassador to Israel and asked the Israeli envoy not to return to Amman. The Jordanian Foreign Minister said that the decision would not be reconsidered until the operation in Gaza was stopped.

Miller said Washington shares Jordan's concerns about the "dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," and Blinken will make that a priority in his trip. He added: "But ultimately, we believe that strengthening diplomatic efforts is important and that steps aimed at reducing diplomatic channels are not productive for our common goals of promoting a long-term solution to this crisis."

Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, along with Gulf Arab states, stand on alert as anger grows across the region over Israeli tactics, and Blinken's visit will be closely watched.

Before leaving Washington, Blinken met on Wednesday, November 1, with the Saudi Defense Minister, whose country has already suspended US-brokered normalization talks with Israel. But neither man spoke as they posed for about 10 seconds of photos at the US State Department.

Although some progress has been made in securing the evacuation of foreigners from Gaza, including a small number of Americans, to Egypt on Wednesday, November 1, there are still thousands more who want to leave. But even if a solution is found to this situation, more than 200 Israelis and others remain captive by Hamas.

As President Biden said on Wednesday, November 1: “I have personally spent a lot of time talking with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Egyptian President Sisi and others, to make sure that we can open this corridor for people to exit. I want to thank our partners, especially Qatar, who They worked closely with us to support negotiations to facilitate the departure of these citizens.”

Biden added that there is much work to be done to "significantly increase the flow of vital humanitarian assistance to Gaza."