Blinken heads to Middle Eas to press for new truce

Ahead of fifth crisis tour, he stresses need to urgently address Gaza’s humanitarian needs

GAZA STRIP, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the Middle East for another crisis tour on Feb 5 in a bid to secure a new truce in the Israel-Hamas war, as southern Gaza saw no let-up in fighting.

Mr Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Feb 5, the first stop of his fifth Middle East tour since the Oct 7 attack by Hamas that prompted massive Israeli retaliation.

Mr Blinken is also set to visit Israel, Egypt and Qatar later this week.

Ahead of the trip, he stressed the need for "urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza", after aid groups have repeatedly sounded the alarm over the devastating impact on the besieged territory of nearly four months of war.

"The situation is indescribable," said Mr Said Hamouda, a Palestinian who fled his home in the Gaza Strip to the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt.

Dubbed a "pressure cooker of despair" by the United Nations, Rafah now hosts more than half of Gaza's 2.4 million people, displaced due to Israel's assault.

Over the weekend, Israel pressed farther south towards the densely crowded border city, warning its ground forces could advance on Rafah as part of its campaign to eradicate Hamas.

On the morning of Feb 5, sources told AFP they could hear artillery shelling in the areas of eastern Rafah and Khan Younis, where Israel believes high-ranking Hamas officials are hiding.

At least 128 people, mostly women and children, were killed in Israeli strikes overnight from Feb 4 to Feb 5, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

The Hamas government media office said Israeli bombardments have continued across the centre and southern end of coastal territory, including near hospitals.