US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel, the West Bank and Egypt at the end of the month as a deadly clash between Israeli troops and Palestinians reignited tension in the region.
Israeli troops killed at least 10 people, including an elderly woman, in the Jenin refugee camp on Thursday and wounded 16 in the deadliest Israeli raid in months.
“With both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the secretary will underscore the urgent need for the parties to take steps to de-escalate tensions in order to put an end to the cycle of violence that has claimed too many innocent lives,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, said the reported civilian casualties were "quite regrettable".
Ms Leaf, a former US ambassador to the UAE, said President Joe Biden's administration had been encouraging both sides to de-escalate the situation.
She said it would be a mistake for Palestine to suspend security co-operation with Israel.
"Obviously, we don’t think this is the right step to take at this moment," Ms Leaf said.
Mr Blinken is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah to discuss Palestinian-Israeli relations and a two-state solution, among other issues, the State Department said.
He is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, during which they are expected to discuss the importance of “further strengthening the US relationship with the Palestinian people and leadership”.
Mr Blinken will also discuss with Israeli leaders Washington's continued support for the country's security, particularly against Iran.
The US and Israel this week conducted what US Central Command described as a “large-scale exercise in Israel and the East Mediterranean Sea”.
The exercise included more than 140 aircraft, 12 vessels, Himars and other rocket launch systems. More than 6,400 US personnel were involved.
The US has continued to increase pressure on Iran through sanctions, with Washington accusing Tehran of supplying Russia with drones for its continuing war in Ukraine
The US has also imposed sanctions on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials over the government's deadly crackdown on months-long protests after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
He will also meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Cairo to advance the US and Egypt's “strategic relationship”, and the nations' support for the Libyan elections and Sudanese-led political process, the State Department said.
AP contributed to this report
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The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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