U.S. – Blinken

A packed schedule awaits U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week, who arrived in Israel on Thursday. On his trip, Blinken will visit Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the West Bank and Greece from January 4 to 11. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told Reuters. Blinken’s focus during the trip will be on preventing the war in Gaza from spreading to the rest of the Middle East. “It is in nobody’s interest — not in Israel’s, the region’s or the world’s — for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza’s borders,” Miller said. During the trip, the Foreign Minister will discuss with the relevant parties what can be done to significantly increase humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. /ritzau/