Global publications are covering the developments in the West Bank and anticipating the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza and its ramifications.
Blinken arrived in Istanbul on Friday evening, the first stop on his fourth tour of the region since the Israeli war on Gaza commenced. His visit is expected to include Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, alongside Israel and the West Bank.
According to the "Wall Street Journal," Blinken's visit comes as the pace of attacks beyond the scope of the war in Gaza – referencing situations in the Red Sea, Lebanon, and Iraq – intensifies.
The newspaper views the purpose of President Joe Biden's decision to send one of his most trusted White House advisers as an initiative to contain the errors that could ignite an unpredictable conflagration in the region.
New Settlement Outposts
In related reporting, the New York Times details warnings from an Israeli organization opposed to settlement policies regarding the outcome of creating new settlement outposts in the West Bank during the persisting war in Gaza.
The report considers these activities and various forms of settler violence against Palestinians as exacerbating tensions in the West Bank. This comes at a time when Israeli forces are intensifying their raids and arresting more Palestinians.
Eishaan Tharoor, in an article for the Washington Post, argues that calls for ethnic cleansing in Gaza are on the rise within Israel. However, they do not appear to be in line with the vision of the security establishments, citing an informed source on government discussions acknowledging that there is no future in Gaza without its residents.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times focuses on the situations in the Red Sea after the announcement from the shipping company Maersk to redirect its vessels away from the area. The move was made despite U.S.-led efforts to secure maritime shipping routes in the region.
