Blinken to Attend Riyadh WEF Summit on Economy, Gaza
Washington’s top diplomat is among leaders expected at a Saudi-hosted economic summit set to begin on Sunday with a strong focus on the grinding war in Gaza, organizers said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be “coming in directly from his visits in China and on his way to Israel,” Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum (WEF), told a press conference on Saturday in Riyadh.
Other participants at the two-day WEF special meeting include Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and foreign ministers and prime ministers from across the Middle East and Europe.
These include foreign ministers from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the EU and prime ministers from Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, according to a WEF press release.
A total of 12 heads of state and government feature among the more than 1,000 participants, Brende said on Saturday.
Israel estimates that 129 hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.
Hamas said it was studying on Saturday the latest Israeli counterproposal regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, a day after media reports said a delegation from mediator Egypt arrived in Israel in a bid to jump-start stalled negotiations.
