00:44US State Secretary Antony Blinken urged that 'all parties must refrain from escalation' in the Middle East during a signing ceremony for the US-Australia partnership with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Washington DC on Monday.
"All parties must take steps to ease tensions. Escalation is not in anyone's interests. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity," he addressed, underscoring that it is 'critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza'.
Tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr were killed in Beirut and Tehran, respectively, on July 31. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Israel would receive a 'harsh punishment' over the death of Haniyeh. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed a response was 'inevitable' for the killing of Shukr.
On Thursday, August 1, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari denied Israel had launched an airstrike on Tehran against Haniyeh, while Tel Aviv claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Shukr in Beirut. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) claimed Shukr was behind an attack on the Golan Heights on July 27, which killed 12 children. Hezbollah blames a projectile from Israel's own Iron Dome defence system, which it said had been attempting to take down rocket fire directed at Israeli military installations.
The killing of Ismail Haniyeh was mourned and condemned by several countries and movements, including Russia, Syria, Qatar, the Taliban, and Hezbollah. The Hamas political leader was a key figure in ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh first joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority in 2006–2014.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 civilians, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, the Israeli army launched a large-scale campaign of airstrikes and ground incursion, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 91,000 since October 7.
'Break this cycle' - Blinken calls on 'all parties to ease tensions' and reach Gaza ceasefire deal
US State Secretary Antony Blinken urged that 'all parties must refrain from escalation' in the Middle East during a signing ceremony for the US-Australia partnership with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Washington DC on Monday.
"All parties must take steps to ease tensions. Escalation is not in anyone's interests. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity," he addressed, underscoring that it is 'critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza'.
Tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr were killed in Beirut and Tehran, respectively, on July 31. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Israel would receive a 'harsh punishment' over the death of Haniyeh. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed a response was 'inevitable' for the killing of Shukr.
On Thursday, August 1, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari denied Israel had launched an airstrike on Tehran against Haniyeh, while Tel Aviv claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Shukr in Beirut. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) claimed Shukr was behind an attack on the Golan Heights on July 27, which killed 12 children. Hezbollah blames a projectile from Israel's own Iron Dome defence system, which it said had been attempting to take down rocket fire directed at Israeli military installations.
The killing of Ismail Haniyeh was mourned and condemned by several countries and movements, including Russia, Syria, Qatar, the Taliban, and Hezbollah. The Hamas political leader was a key figure in ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh first joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority in 2006–2014.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 civilians, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, the Israeli army launched a large-scale campaign of airstrikes and ground incursion, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 91,000 since October 7.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken urged that 'all parties must refrain from escalation' in the Middle East during a signing ceremony for the US-Australia partnership with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Washington DC on Monday.
"All parties must take steps to ease tensions. Escalation is not in anyone's interests. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity," he addressed, underscoring that it is 'critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza'.
Tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr were killed in Beirut and Tehran, respectively, on July 31. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Israel would receive a 'harsh punishment' over the death of Haniyeh. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed a response was 'inevitable' for the killing of Shukr.
On Thursday, August 1, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari denied Israel had launched an airstrike on Tehran against Haniyeh, while Tel Aviv claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Shukr in Beirut. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) claimed Shukr was behind an attack on the Golan Heights on July 27, which killed 12 children. Hezbollah blames a projectile from Israel's own Iron Dome defence system, which it said had been attempting to take down rocket fire directed at Israeli military installations.
The killing of Ismail Haniyeh was mourned and condemned by several countries and movements, including Russia, Syria, Qatar, the Taliban, and Hezbollah. The Hamas political leader was a key figure in ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh first joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority in 2006–2014.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 civilians, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, the Israeli army launched a large-scale campaign of airstrikes and ground incursion, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 91,000 since October 7.