Palestinian statehood must be part of Israeli normalization efforts in the region, including with Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, after he had visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.

Normalization is not a “substitute for” and can not come at the “expense of a political horizon for the Palestinians and ultimately a Palestinian state,” Blinken said.
“On the contrary, that piece has to be a part of any integration efforts or any normalization efforts,” he explained, adding that this was made very clear to him “in my conversations on this trip including in Saudi Arabia.”

Blinken's continued visits to the Middle East

Blinken arrived for what is his fourth regional visit in the last three months – since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, at a critical time as Israel enters what it has termed a third phase of its military campaign to destroy Hamas, which will involve lower intensity action that is more targeted.
During the first leg of his two-day visit, Blinken met with families of the 136 hostages held in Gaza, and some of those captives who have been released.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on January 9, 2024 (credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on January 9, 2024 (credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)
“For them, every hour, every minute that they are separated from their loved ones is an eternity,” he said, as pledged that the US was continuing to work to free the captives.
“Time feels different for families in Gaza as well, hundreds of thousands of whom are experiencing food insecurity,” Blinken said as he spoke of the importance of increasing humanitarian assistance.
“More food, more medicine, and essential goods must get into Gaza, and get more effectively” to the people in Gaza, he said.
Time also feels different for Israelis and Palestinians whose loved ones have been killed in the last months, he said.“Those are just an example of how heavy these 95 days have felt and continue to feel to the people most affected by the conflict,” Blinken said.
The United States stands with Israel as it works to ensure that an attack like October 7 never happens again, Blinken said. He noted that the war could have been prevented if Hamas had not attacked Israel or if it had immediately surrendered and released the hostages it seized.
On Tuesday Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister Benny Gantz, and President Isaac Herzog. He also discussed with the war cabinet.

What were Blinken's other key points?

Among his key points were the importance of reducing Palestinian casualties, a deconfliction mechanism to improve aid distribution, and creating a mechanism to allow displaced Palestinians to return home, starting with northern Gaza.
A mechanism was created by which the United Nations would carry out an assessment mission to evaluate the steps needed for Palestinians to return home.
“This won’t happen overnight, but the mission will start a process,” he said.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes as a result of the war and are now mostly concentrated in the southern part of the enclave.
Blinken also clarified that the US strongly objected to any plans to forcibly or voluntarily relocate Palestinians from the enclave. Both Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have spoken in the last weeks about relocating Palestinians.
“In today’s meetings, I was crystal clear that Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They must not be pressed to leave Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israel's President Isaac Herzog, during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East, at David Kempinski Hotel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 9, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israel's President Isaac Herzog, during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East, at David Kempinski Hotel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 9, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL)

“As I told the Prime Minister, the US unequivocally rejects any proposals advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. The Prime Minister reaffirmed to me today that this is not the policy of Israel’s government,” he said.
He called on Israel to transfer to the PA all the tax revenue it collects on their behalf. Israel has deducted from that revenue the sums equal to the amount that the PA spends on monthly stipends to terrorists and their families.
Moving forward, Blinken said, “Israel must be a partner to Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people in living side by side in peace with Israel as neighbors.
“Israel must stop taking steps that undercut the Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves effectively. Extremist settler violence carried out with impunity, settlement expansion, demotions, evictions, all make it harder not easier for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security,” Blinken stressed.
“The PA also has a responsibility to reform itself and to improve its governance,” Blinken said, adding that he plans to discuss this with PA President Mahmoud Abbas when he meets with him in Ramallah on Tuesday.
“If Israel wants its Arab neighbors to make the tough decisions necessary to help ensure its lasting security, Israeli leaders will have to make hard decisions themselves,” Blinken explained.
He stressed that Palestinian statehood was critical to any movement forward once the Gaza war was over. Concurrent to Blinken’s conversations, Arab leaders have also been meeting.
Jordan’s King Abdullah will hold a summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday to discuss the “serious developments” in the Gaza Strip, the Jordanian state news agency reported on Tuesday.

Blinken also spoke of the importance of a diplomatic resolution to the cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah.

“Escalation is in no one’s interest” and there are countries in this region using their influence to make sure that this does not happen.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati told a senior United Nations official on Tuesday that his country was ready for talks on long-term stability on its southern border with Israel.
Mikati's office said in a statement he met UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix in Beirut to reiterate "Lebanon's readiness to enter negotiations to achieve a long-term process of stability in southern Lebanon" along the border with Israel.
"We seek permanent stability and call for a lasting peaceful solution - but in return, we receive warnings through international envoys about a war on Lebanon," Mikati said.
"The position I repeat to these delegates is: Do you support the idea of destruction? Is what is happening in Gaza acceptable?”
In Tel Aviv on Tuesday night, Blinken also spoke of the importance of halting Houthi attacks on global shipping and of attacks against US forces by other Iranian proxies, specifically in Iraq.
“We are determined that we not see escalation, but if our forces are threatened or attacked we will take appropriate steps, we will protect them.”

Reuters contributed to this report.