As US races to ease tensions, Blinken says Gaza ceasefire critical for calm

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington is engaged in intense diplomacy to ease tensions in the Middle East, urging all parties to refrain from escalating violence.

“We are engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much around the clock, with a very simple message — all parties must refrain from escalation,” he says after a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

But Blinken adds that without a ceasefire deal in Gaza, crises will continue to flare up.

“It’s also critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza,” Blinken says. A ceasefire “will unlock possibilities for more enduring calm, not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict could spread.”

“What it really comes down to, really, is all parties finding ways to come to an agreement, not look for reasons to delay or to say no,” Blinken says. “It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead.”