WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday the United States was working around the clock to prevent an escalation in the Middle East and urged Israel and Hamas to “break this cycle” of violence through a ceasefire.
With Iran believed to be planning a retaliatory strike against Israel following the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran, Blinken said escalation would “only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity.”
“We are conducting intensive diplomacy, virtually around the clock, with a very simple message: all parties must refrain from escalating the situation,” he said during a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“It is also critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza,” Blinken said.
He said a ceasefire “will open up possibilities for a more lasting calm, not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict could spread.”
“What really matters is that all sides find ways to reach an agreement, not look for reasons to delay or say no,” Blinken said. “It is urgent that all sides make the right decisions in the coming hours and days.”
