US Secretary of State Blinken held official talks in Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Egypt following the Hamas attack on Israel. Commenting on his meetings, Blinken said: "Over the past few days, I have traveled to Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The common theme I heard from all partners is to prevent the conflict from spreading, protect innocent lives and deliver aid to those in need in Gaza. We stand with Israel as it defends itself. At the same time, the United States is actively working to ensure that the people of Gaza are not harmed and that the aid they need - food, water, medicine - gets to them. Hamas does not care about Palestinian suffering."

BIDEN'S STATEMENT ON HAMAS

US President Biden said last night that Hamas does not represent the aspirations of the Palestinian people, "It is time for all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization that does not represent the aspirations of the Palestinian people. I met with Palestinian President Abbas to condemn Hamas' attack on Israel and reiterated that Hamas does not represent the dignity and self-determination of the Palestinian people. I assured him that we are working with our partners in the region to ensure humanitarian supplies reach civilians in Gaza and to prevent the conflict from expanding."