Blinken encourages Israel to pursue Saudi normalisation amid Gaza war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel to seize the “incredible opportunity” to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia, a process that has been stalled due to the ongoing war in Gaza. 

Before departing Tel Aviv for Riyadh, Blinken stated, “There remains, despite everything that’s happened, an incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction.”

He emphasised that Saudi Arabia would play a central role in this shift, which includes the potential normalisation of ties with Israel.

In a separate appeal, Blinken urged Israel to leverage its recent successes against Hamas, including the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, to pursue a long-term solution to the conflict.

“Now is the time to turn those successes into enduring, strategic success,” he remarked, stressing that this approach should involve the return of all captives and an end to the war “with an understanding of what will follow.”

Blinken also cautioned Israel to avoid “greater escalation” in response to Iran’s missile attack on October 1. “It’s also very important that Israel respond in ways that do not create greater escalation,” he told reporters in Israel before heading to Saudi Arabia, the next stop on his Middle East tour.