US' Blinken urges Israelis, Palestinians not to 'inflame tensions'

It's the responsibility of everyone to take steps to calm tensions rather than inflame them," the top US diplomat said after landing in Tel Aviv.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called on Israelis and Palestinians not to inflame tensions amid one of the deadliest recent surges of violence in the decades-long conflict.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement upon arrival at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on January 30, 2023. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / POOL / AFP)(AFP)

"It's the responsibility of everyone to take steps to calm tensions rather than inflame them," the top US diplomat said after landing in Tel Aviv, ahead of his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.