Blinken adds a stop in Israel to his Middle East trip

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Israel this week, adding a stop to his latest trip to the Middle East, amid intense diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to establish.

Mr Blinken arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday afternoon. The State Department initially made no mention of Israel when announcing his travel plans, saying only that he would visit Saudi Arabia and then Egypt during the trip – the sixth time Mr Blinken has come to the region since the Hamas-led guided attack on Israel on October 7. the war in Gaza.

On Wednesday, the State Department said Mr Blinken would also travel to Israel for talks with the country’s “leadership” on efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza and to “dramatically accelerate” the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave. to perform”.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli government. There were also no details about who Mr. Blinken would meet.

The visit will come at a time when American and Israeli leaders are increasingly at odds over Israel’s approach to the war. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed aside President Biden’s opposition to a planned ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, saying Tuesday that his government would press ahead despite pleas for restraint from the United States and other allies.

In a phone call with Mr. Netanyahu this week, Mr. Biden argued that a ground invasion could be disastrous for those hiding in Rafah and that Israel has other ways to achieve its goal of defeating Hamas.

Before the trip, the State Department had said Mr. Blinken would meet with Saudi and Egyptian leaders, without naming specific officials.

The discussions were expected to include post-war plans for Gaza and the broader Middle East, including a possible agreement that would ease relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and lay the groundwork for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state, Mr. Blinking to reporters about a stop. Tuesday in Manila.

His trip comes as negotiators from Israel have joined officials from Egypt and Qatar for meetings in the Qatari capital Doha aimed at securing a lull in the fighting in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held there by Hamas and other armed groups.

These efforts have taken on greater urgency as the death toll in Gaza rises and the United Nations warns that famine in the enclave is “imminent.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Blinken emphasized the need to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, whose residents, he said, “continue to face a horrific humanitarian situation.” He said Hamas was to blame for the crisis, but that it was also “Israel’s job” to protect civilians during its military campaign.

John Yoon reporting contributed.