US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives to address the media at the end of the India-US '2+2' ministerial dialogue in New Delhi on November 10, 2023. AFP
Speaking in New Delhi at the end of an intense nine-day diplomatic tour of the Middle East and Asia, Blinken said that “far too many Palestinians have been killed, far too many have suffered these past weeks” and that everything possible should be done to prevent their harm and maximize the assistance they receive.
US officials have said they would like to see Israel introduce longer “humanitarian pauses” that would cover wider areas, as well as exponentially expand the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza from Egypt.
US top diplomat along with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin held talks on Friday in New Delhi, seeking to bolster India as a regional counterweight to China and win backing for its position on the Israeli war on Gaza.
Blinken and Austin joined Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh for annual "two-plus-two" talks, which India said would focus on defence and security cooperation.
Short link: