US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a tour of the Middle East by holding talks in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, hoping to secure a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza.
According to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry, Blinken will meet with Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official in Cairo on Thursday.
Blinken to Visit Israel
In the Gaza Strip, where hunger is spreading amid growing warnings of a looming famine, Blinken advocates for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
According to Egyptian security officials cited by the Reuters news agency, Arab states would offer plans for a political resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Such plans had been delayed while US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators worked to secure an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages.
Following his arrival in Saudi Arabia, Blinken met with the country's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and was scheduled to discuss with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The US State Department said in a statement that the two top diplomats discussed the urgent need to protect all civilians in Gaza and immediately increase humanitarian assistance to those in need.
Blinken is on his sixth trip to the Middle East since Israel's war on Gaza began on October 7. He has declared that during his journey, he will seek discussions on plans for the governance, security, and redevelopment of post-conflict Gaza and for lasting regional peace.
This week, talks for a ceasefire agreement resumed in Qatar after failed attempts to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Qatari officials said they were "cautiously optimistic" after talks with Israel's intelligence chief in Doha. However, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that an Israeli ground operation in Rafah in southern Gaza would delay any talks.
The US Department of State reported that Blinken will cap his tour by visiting Israel.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Blinken will discuss with the leadership of the government of Israel the ongoing negotiations to secure the release of all hostages in Israel.
He added that he will discuss the need to ensure the defeat of Hamas, including in Rafah, in a way that protects the civilian population, does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and advances Israel's overall security.
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Netanyahu To Continue Rafah Assault Despite Biden's Warning
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly declared that he will disregard US President Joe Biden's warnings about initiating a large-scale ground operation in Rafah without credible plans to protect innocent Palestinians.
He said that although plans are in place, the operation will take some time.
Biden, facing a challenging reelection campaign before November's presidential election, is under mounting domestic pressure to rein in Israel's military response to the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel.
Opposition to the war in the US, Arab nations, and most of the rest of the world has shaped the evolution of Blinken's repeated trips to the region since October.
In a phone call with Biden on Monday, their first in more than a month, Netanyahu sent a high-level delegation to Washington to discuss the details of the planned Rafah operation.
The Pentagon also announced on Tuesday that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will travel to the US capital next week.
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