Blinken’s visit follows a whirlwind tour of the Middle East that included an unannounced visit to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian Authority president, Mahmud Abbas, on Sunday.
The US diplomat has been facing a chorus of Arab calls to support an immediate ceasefire. Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates met Blinken in Amman on Saturday and also urged him to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Blinken also visited Iraq on Sunday and held talks with the prime minister, Mohammed al-Sudani.
The latest manoeuvres come amid continued concerns for civilians inside Gaza, as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said they had divided the besieged coastal strip into two and the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported “unprecedented bombardment” by Israel.
Jordan’s military air-dropped urgent medical aid to a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza early on Monday, according to a social post from Jordan’s king and reports in state media. “This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza. We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren,” King Abdullah said.
Antony Blinken meets with the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, on Monday 6 November. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/AP
