French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne joined U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Saudi Arabia to further seek a diplomatic way to ease the war between Israel and Hamas that seem to have no end in sight.
Sejourne is billed to also hold talks in Riyadh with ministers of Arab and other Western countries as well as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
“Things are moving forward but you always have to be careful in these discussions and negotiations. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic and we need a ceasefire,” Sejourne told Reuters.
“We will discuss the hostages, humanitarian situation and the ceasefire. Things are progressing, but we must always remain prudent in these discussions and negotiations,” he said.
Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first stop in a broader trip to the Middle East.
According to a senior State Department official, he is scheduled to meet with senior Saudi officials in Riyadh and hold a larger meeting with counterparts from five Arab states: Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss potential governance structures for the Gaza Strip following the conclusion of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Additionally, Blinken is anticipated to convene Arab and European nations to deliberate on how Europe may support the reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, which has been turned to a wasteland by an Israeli assault that lasted for six months.
Meanwhile, Egypt was expected to host leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas to discuss prospects for a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
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