US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to travel to Israel early next week for talks with Israeli and Palestinian Arab officials about the war in Gaza, two sources with direct knowledge of the trip told Barak Ravid of Axios on Tuesday.
This will be Blinken's fourth trip to Israel since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. The visit could take place amid the implementation of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that is expected to include a multi-day pause in fighting.
Blinken's trip to the region hasn't been totally finalized but is expected to take place after Thanksgiving and before his participation in the NATO foreign ministers summit in Brussels next Tuesday, the sources said.
State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller declined to comment.
During Blinken’s most recent visit to the region, he said that more needs to be done to protect civilians in Gaza and pushed for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the potential release of hostages being held by Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later responded to Blinken and made clear that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza without the release of the hostages being held by Hamas.
Ravid’s report came as Israeli ministers were meeting to discuss and vote on a deal that would see Hamas free some of the hostages it is holding in exchange for a four-day ceasefire.