Blinken urges Arab states to do their bit for Gaza

US secretary of state Antony Blinken was set to push Israel’s Arab neighbours on Sunday to play a future role in running Gaza as he seeks to quell tension beyond Israel’s war on Hamas.

Blinker arrived in Jordan late on Saturday and met King Abdullah on Sunday before he was set to visit Qatar and end the day in the United Arab Emirates.

Blinken will use the visits to press hesitant Muslim countries to prepare to play a role in the reconstruction, governance and security of Gaza if and when Israel eliminates Hamas, said a senior state department official.

The US delegation will gather Arab states’ input on Gaza’s future before taking those positions to Israel in coming days, the official said, acknowledging that there will be significant gaps between the different parties’ vision for the strip.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant proposed on Thursday that a multinational task force led by the US with the EU and regional partners could take responsibility for rehabilitating the territory, with Israel maintaining its operational freedom of action in the strip.

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi, who met Blinken earlier, would only discuss a future scenario bringing the West Bank and Gaza together as the basis of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, the foreign ministry said in a statement before talks on Sunday.

Arab leaders including Jordan’s King Abdullah have called for a lasting ceasefire in the conflict, which began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostage.

Hamas health officials say Israel’s air and ground assault to wipe out Hamas has killed 22,722 Palestinians by Saturday and reduced much of the tiny Gaza to rubble.

Blinken will in Doha also discuss efforts to free the more than 100 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas after an earlier agreement mediated by Qatar broke down.

His fourth visit to the region in the three-month conflict comes amid heightened tension after a drone strike in Beirut killed a senior Hamas leader, Israel exchanged fire with Iranbacked militia Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon and Washington tries to rally allies to act to deter attacks on Red Sea shipping launched by the Houthi militants who control most of Yemen.

Blinken said on Saturday Middle Eastern countries need to use their influence over regional actors to ensure the Gaza conflict is contained and prevent “an endless cycle of violence”.