Blinken reiterates opposition to Rafah offensive, says ‘very good progress’ on Israel-Saudi deal

CAIRO — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says a major military operation by Israel in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah would be “a mistake.”

Blinken calls the looming ground offensive “unnecessary,” in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, adding “there is a better way to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Hamas.”

Commenting on truce-for-hostages talks in Qatar, Blinken says the “gaps are narrowing.”

The United States is “continuing to push for an agreement in Doha,” Blinken says, adding “it’s difficult to get there, but I believe it is still possible.”

He also reports “very good progress” toward a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, saying his visit to the Gulf kingdom yesterday had yielded “a very good discussion” with Saudi leaders on closer ties between the two states.

The US top diplomat says he cannot “put a time frame on it,” but that discussions were “getting close to a point where we’ll have agreements.”