The State Department announced in a statement that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to five different countries, with his visit to India to take part in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in November marking the end of the trip. Israel, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, and India will all be visited by Blinken. Blinken will travel to India with Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense for the United States. The US delegation will meet with senior Indian officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and others, to discuss Indo-Pacific developments and bilateral and international issues.
In Israel, Blinken will reiterate US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism consistent with international humanitarian law and discuss efforts to safeguard US citizens in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, work to secure the immediate release of hostages, increase the pace and volume of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza for distribution to Palestinian civilians, and prevent the conflict from spreading, the statement read.
After this, he will go to Jordan, where Blinken will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and our shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the resumption of essential services, and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza.