Israel-Gaza war: Antony Blinken says will work with China’s Wang Yi to rein in Mideast tensions

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, has a significant task ahead. He informed the UN Security Council that he intends to collaborate with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, to prevent the Middle East conflict from escalating. They are scheduled to meet later this week. Blinken urged the 15-member council to assist in containing the conflict, which has escalated following the attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7. Blinken emphasized that the council members, particularly the permanent ones, bear a special responsibility to prevent the conflict from spreading. He also cautioned Iran and its regional proxies against opening up more fronts in the war. Blinken expressed his anticipation to continue working with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, to achieve this when he visits Washington later this week. Wang is expected to arrive in the United States on Thursday for discussions with Blinken and President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. The US aims to ensure that the intense competition between the world's two largest economies, the US and China, and their disagreements over a range of issues, does not devolve into conflict. US officials also hope that Beijing will leverage its influence with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to help prevent the conflict from spreading. Israel's bombing and siege of Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks have incited anger in Muslim-majority countries. Washington is apprehensive that an imminent ground offensive could ignite a broader conflict. China has consistently advocated for restraint and a ceasefire in response to Israel's bombardment of Gaza, but has also intensified its criticism of Israel. China's Wang Yi is set to travel to the US this week to meet Antony Blinken. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, along with his Arab counterparts, informed reporters at the United Nations that the threat of the conflict spreading is a 'real danger. ' He stated, 'We're all doing everything we can to stop it. There's the threat of this expanding into the West Bank, into Lebanon, into other fronts. None of us want that, we're all working against that. ' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Tuesday for the protection of civilians in the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants. He expressed concern about 'clear violations of international humanitarian law' in the Gaza Strip. More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, according to Gaza's health ministry. This is the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel initiated a bombing campaign to suppress Hamas militants who shocked the country with a deadly October 7 attack. Guterres reminded the Security Council that at a 'crucial moment like this,' it was essential to be clear that war has rules, beginning with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians. He stated, 'It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. ' Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan described Guterres' speech as 'shocking. ' In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he demanded Guterres to immediately resign. Israel's visiting Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced that he would no longer meet with Guterres later on Tuesday as planned. He wrote, 'I will not meet with the UN secretary general. After October 7 there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world!