LONDON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday held a phone call with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the State Department announced. Blinken “emphasized the importance of continued close coordination to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and promote the protection of civilians,” State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said. He thanked the UAE for the humanitarian assistance it has provided to Palestinians and for its commitment to supporting a maritime corridor that was set up to deliver additional aid to Gaza by sea. The two sides “also discussed efforts to secure a ceasefire of at least six weeks in Gaza as part of an agreement for the release of all hostages,” Miller said in a statement. Blinken “underscored the US commitment to achieving sustained peace through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” Miller added. The US and the UAE, along with Cyprus, the European Commission, the UK and Qatar held a virtual ministerial meeting on March 13 to advance planning to open a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea. The move comes as the UN released new data on Monday saying that famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip, and is expected to arrive between now and May. Blinken and Sheikh Abdullah affirmed their “shared commitment to building a more secure and prosperous region and deepening the strategic partnership” between Washington and Abu Dhabi. The US top diplomat touched down Wednesday in the Middle East on a regional tour to bolster efforts for a truce in the war in Gaza. He is currently in Jeddah for talks with the Saudi leadership and will travel to Cairo on Thursday to meet with Egyptian officials. He is also due in Israel on Friday to meet with leaders to discuss the release of hostages, humanitarian aid and a planned Israeli assault on Rafah, Miller said.