Austria's Foreign Minister travels to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon. The release of the hostages must be the top priority in negotiations for a ceasefire.
The timing is good, the travel program is tight. Immediately before Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg's departure for the Middle East, news arrived from Washington that US President Biden expected a new agreement between Israel and Hamas by Monday. Schallenberg began a whirlwind tour on Tuesday. After his visit to Israel, he plans to travel overland to Jordan via the West Bank on Wednesday. From Amman we will continue to Lebanon on Thursday and from there we will return to Vienna via Turkey on Friday morning. Originally, the last stop would have been in Egypt and not Lebanon. But the Egyptian foreign minister has to accompany his president on a trip, which is why Schallenberg rescheduled the weekend reservation.
Immediately before his postponed departure, Schallenberg expressed the hope that a ceasefire for the Gaza Strip would be agreed upon over the weekend, which could then perhaps even solidify into a permanent ceasefire. The release of the hostages must be the top priority. The following should apply: “Hostages out, humanitarian aid in.”
Austria has long-standing relations with the Arab world and a strategic partnership with Israel. It's even more important to travel to the region now, Schallenberg said.