Blinken's visit to the Middle East and US aid to Israel are the focus in Washington this week.

A trip back to the Middle East by the United States' top diplomat to continue talks on a possible ceasefire highlights a week of high-level wrangling over the war in Gaza and beyond.

Starting Monday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank during his trip to the Middle East, hoping to reach an agreement on the release of the remaining hostages. in Gaza and secure a humanitarian break for civilians there, the Foreign Ministry said.

Hamas has said it is considering a ceasefire proposal, but indicated significant gaps still need to be bridged. Egyptian and Qatari mediators, along with Israel and the United States, have presented Hamas with a proposal that would pause fighting for the first time since a week-long ceasefire in November during which more than 100 hostages were freed.

Here's what to look out for this week:

• The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday after Russia called for an “urgent” meeting to discuss US attacks. The United States has retaliated for a deadly drone attack by bombing Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria and Iraq. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, accused the United States on Saturday of carrying out the attacks with the intention of further escalating the conflict in the Middle East. She said the attacks showed the “aggressive nature of US policy” in the region.

• Further retaliation was possible this week after top US national security officials said on Sunday that President Biden had authorized additional actions, although they did not specify the timing or nature of the response. Friday's attacks in Syria and Iraq, followed by additional US-led attacks on the Houthi militia in Yemen over the weekend, marked a sharp escalation of the conflict arising from Israel's war against Hamas.

• Senate Republicans and Democrats on Sunday introduced a $118.3 billion compromise bill on migration that includes $14.1 billion in security aid for Israel and $10 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza. But a backlash from House leaders threatened the deal's chances of passing a deeply divided Congress.