U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Thursday with Qatar’s ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as part of a tour of the region in which Blinken has focused discussions on ending the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Blinken is also meeting Thursday with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani ahead of talks with Arab officials Friday in London. While one of Blinken’s agenda items has been to seek an increase in humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, France hosted an international conference Thursday in Paris to raise funds to help those affected by the war