Blinken begins rallies in Israel amid growing disagreements over the war.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with top Israeli officials on Tuesday and continued diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader war in the region.

A day earlier, an Israeli army spokesman said it was moving to a new phase of combat, with fewer troops and airstrikes.

Mr Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday after Israel launched attacks in southern Lebanon that killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militia, fueling concerns that others could be caught up in the fighting concerned. The Biden administration is grappling with growing disagreements with Israeli counterparts on issues such as the risk of a broader war and the need to limit Palestinian civilian deaths.

Israeli officials privately told U.S. officials that they aim to complete the change in war strategy by the end of January.

Before his trip to Israel, Mr Blinken met with the leaders of Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. It is his fourth trip to the region since Hamas and other militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,200 people.

After meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Monday, Mr Blinken said there was still “clear interest” in diplomatic recognition between the kingdom and Israel. The comments were an indication that the door to the normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel after the October 7 attack remained open.

In the marathon meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his War Cabinet and other Israeli ministers, Mr. Blinken said, he would “have the opportunity to share with Israel’s leaders everything I have heard so far on this trip.”

He said he would also insist on the “absolute need” to protect civilians and increase humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip’s 2.2 million civilians. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr Blinken had spoken on Monday with Sigrid Kaag, the newly appointed UN coordinator overseeing aid entering Gaza.

More than 23,000 people had been killed in Gaza in the three months of the war, according to the local health ministry on Monday. Extreme shortages of food, water, medicine and other basic needs continue to affect the more than 1.9 million people displaced by the fighting.