Blinken tells Israel's Gallant that escalation benefits no one

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday that escalation in the Middle East is in "no party's interest" and urged an “urgent” Gaza Strip cease-fire deal, according to the State Department.

“The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and discussed how escalation is in no party’s interest,” spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

“The Secretary reiterated the urgent need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader regional stability,” it said.

He “underscored the importance of reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes,” it added.

In a separate telephone call with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, Blinken discussed efforts to “calm tensions in the region and prevent further escalation of the conflict,” said Miller.

“The Secretary stressed the urgent need to conclude the ceasefire deal and emphasized that no party in the region should take actions that would jeopardize a ceasefire being reached,” he added.

On Thursday, Egypt, Qatar and US mediators urged Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, to resume talks in Doha or Cairo next week.

The renewed efforts come after nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,700 injured in Israel’s response to an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which killed 1,139 Israelis.

More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.