At the center of the talks is Israel’s attack against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in London later today for talks regarding Israel’s attack on Hezbollah in Lebanese territory, a State Department spokesman announced Thursday night.
Mr Blinken arrived in the British capital in the evening following a tour of the Middle East, the 11th since the outbreak of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas on October 7, 2023, during which he insisted they must avoid entering the targeted civilians in Lebanon, yet refrained from demanding a cease-fire from Israel.
The US secretary of state will hold separate meetings with his counterparts in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, Washington’s key partners in drawing up plans for the post-war development in the Gaza Strip, the State Department spokesman also said.
Mr Mikati went to London for talks with Mr Blinken after attending the international summit on Lebanon in Paris on Thursday, during which he stressed that only the Lebanese state should bring arms.
Israel’s military says it wants to cripple Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite paramilitary and political movement that has had its own forces for decades.
Hezbollah has opened a front with Israel to support Hamas since the day after the Palestinian Islamist movement’s October 7, 2023 attack on the southern part of the Israeli territory, which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Blinken did not participate in the Paris meeting, however his deputy minister was present. The US has not asked Israel, which enjoys Washington’s military and political support, to immediately end its operations in Lebanon.
During a joint press conference in Qatar on Thursday, Mr. Blinken said that Israel is trying to eliminate the “threat” of Hezbollah, but ultimately a diplomatic solution is imperative.
“We have said very clearly that this cannot lead to — must not lead to — a protracted campaign and Israel must take the necessary steps to avoid civilian casualties and not endanger UN peacekeepers or the Lebanese armed forces,” Mr. Blinken said.
Source :Skai
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