(Jonathan Ernst/Pool photo via AP)Arab leaders who met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan are pushing for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas warAMMAN, Jordan -- Arab leaders decrying the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the Israel-Hamas war pushed for an immediate cease-fire Saturday even as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that such a move would be counterproductive and could encourage more violence by the militant group. The Arab ministers repeatedly called for the fighting to stop now and condemned Israel’s war tactics. “It is our view now that a cease-fire would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did,” Blinken said. Blinken then met with the foreign minister of Qatar, whose country has emerged as the most influential interlocutor with Hamas. On Sunday, Blinken will travel Turkey meetings with President Recep Tayyep Erdogan and other top officials on Monday, the State Department said.

Source: ABC News November 05, 2023 00:21 UTC