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Israel-Hamas war: Blinken to visit Middle East
Published 5 hours agoPublished 5 hours agolast updated 3 hours agolast updated 3 hours ago
The US diplomatic push comes amid mounting concerns the war in Gaza could escalate into a regional conflict. Meanwhile, the White House says South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel is “meritless.” DW has more.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, the US flag behind him
Image: Olivier Douliery/AP Photo/picture alliance
Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken due to visit Israel on a trip to the Middle East
South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel labeled ‘meritless’ by the US
Skip next section Shipping companies avoid Red Sea amid Houthi attacks
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Shipping companies avoid Red Sea amid Houthi attacks
Eighteen shipping companies are avoiding the Red Sea and rerouting their ships around South Africa following a number of attacks, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has said.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told the UN Security Council in New York that they were acting “to reduce the attacks on vessels and … the impact this has on seafarers in particular.”
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in early October, the Yemen-based Houthi rebels have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea to prevent them from traveling to Israel.
On Wednesday, Christopher Lu, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, told the Security Council that the Iran-backed Houthis “pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping and commerce.”
A joint statement issued later by the US, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK warned of collective action if the Houthi attacks did not cease immediately.
On Tuesday, Danish shipping giant Maersk announced the suspension of its freight traffic in the region after one of its ships, the Maersk Hangzhou, was targeted in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Red Sea is a major trade corridor, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt. The diversion via South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope has raised ocean freight rates and the delivery time of goods.
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Skip next section US calls South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel ‘meritless’
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US calls South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel ‘meritless’
The United States has criticized the case being brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by South Africa.
The Hague-based court is set to begin public hearings next week after South Africa alleged that Israel is committing “genocidal acts against the people in Gaza.”
But White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby called the filing “meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.”
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also cast doubt on the allegations. “We have not at this point seen acts that constitute genocide.”
“Genocide is, of course, a heinous atrocity,” Miller told reporters. “Those are allegations that should not be made lightly.”
South Africa, which has often condemned Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and drawn comparisons with its own history of apartheid, accused Israel of acting “with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”
It is seeking an order to compel Israel to cease its military operations in Gaza. Israel has said it will defend itself in the ICJ, and accused South Africa of perpetrating ancient “blood libel” conspiracies.
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Skip next section US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Israel, Middle East
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Israel, Middle East
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to the Middle East on Thursday in a bid to ramp up diplomatic efforts, amid heightened concerns the Israel-Hamas war could spiral into a broader regional conflict.
In a recent briefing, a senior US official said on condition of anonymity that Blinken’s journey will begin Thursday evening “for stops in a number of capitals, including Israel.”
Additionally, diplomatic envoy Amos Hochstein will join the efforts in Israel to address tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hamas’ deputy leader, Saleh Arouri, was killed in a strike in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday. A day later, explosions tore through a crowd of people in Iran commemorating the fourth anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Wednesday’s blast killed at least 95 people.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said it was not in the interest of any country “to see this conflict escalated any further than it already is.”
For women in Gaza, life is increasingly difficult
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Excluding a visit when accompanying US President Joe Biden, the trip will be Blinken’s fifth visit to Israel since the October 7 terror attacks by the Hamas militant group. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Germany, the European Union, the United States and other governments.
The visit also comes after Biden’s recent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focusing on improving humanitarian access to Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has raised the concern of the heavy toll on civilians in Gaza with Netanyahu and criticized Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s call for the removal of all Gazans. But support for Israel looks to have placed Biden in a tricky position with some elements of the Democratic Party ahead of the US presidential election later this year.
ss/kb (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)
