Chicago – January 07, 2023
On Sunday, top US and European officials urged Middle Eastern leaders to keep the Gaza war from spreading in the region. Still, three months into the conflict, further bloodshed highlighted the problem as Israel pushed ahead with its offensive.
Separate trips to the region were made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, to try to contain spillover from the war into Lebanon, the West Bank, and Red Sea shipping routes, where Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have said they will continue to attack until Israel ends its campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
According to a palace statement, Jordan’s King Abdullah urged Blinken to utilise Washington’s influence over Israel to push for an immediate ceasefire, warning him of the “catastrophic repercussions” of Israel’s continuing military campaign.
Despite global concern over the death and destruction in Gaza and extensive calls for a ceasefire, Israeli public opinion remains firmly behind the operation aimed at eliminating the Hamas group that rules Gaza; however, support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dropped significantly.
He has vowed to continue the retaliatory action.
