US Secretary of State Antony Blinken goes to the Middle East on Wednesday for his sixth visit since Israel’s assault of Gaza to press for an agreement to negotiate a temporary cease-fire and the release of captives.
Blinken will meet with Saudi and Egyptian authorities in Jeddah and Cairo to discuss the agreement reached by Egypt and Qatar, as well as efforts to get more aid into Gaza, according to State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller.
Talks on a cease-fire resume this week in Qatar, but weeks of difficult negotiations have failed to yield an agreement between Israel and Hamas, which Washington hopes would help alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe.
Blinken said he will also pursue discussions about post-conflict government, security, and rehabilitation in Gaza.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work since January, particularly with our Arab partners, and we’ll be continuing those conversations, as well as discussing what is the right architecture for long-term regional peace,” Blinken said during a news conference during a prior visit to Manila.
