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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
Photo: POOL / REUTERS
A ceasefire has been in effect in the conflict between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas since Friday night.
Now US President Joe Biden is sending his Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to the conflict region.
Blinken announced on Twitter that at Biden's request he would travel to Jerusalem, Ramallah, Cairo and Amman.
It is his first visit to the Middle East as Foreign Minister.
Blinken had previously campaigned for the ceasefire in the conflict. The aim of his trip is now to support all parties involved in consolidating the ceasefire. The US State Department said the trip was planned Monday through Thursday this week. Blinken will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Jordanian King Abdullah II.
The White House announced that Blinken will take the trip to underscore America's commitment to Israel's security. He will also continue efforts to rebuild US relations with the Palestinian people and their leaders "after years of neglect." Blinken will also try to coordinate emergency aid for the Gaza Strip, which should benefit the people there and not the Islamist Hamas.
Blinken had emphasized on Sunday on CNN that the goal must be to create the conditions for a "real peace process" between Israel and the Palestinians and ultimately for a two-state solution.
He said, “I think it is up to all of us to try to turn things around in order to build something positive, and that basically means that both Palestinians and Israelis must experience the same level of opportunity, security and dignity in their daily lives . "
An Egypt-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Friday morning in the Middle East.
Both sides claimed victory in the conflict for themselves.
The days of military clashes began on May 10, when Hamas fired rockets in the direction of Jerusalem.
asc / dpa
