Blinken is back in the Middle East to press for the conclusion of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun his ninth diplomatic mission to the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with hopes for the quick conclusion of a ceasefire agreement hanging in the balance.

Before another high-level meeting of ceasefire negotiators in Cairo later this week, Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and President Issac Herzog on Monday. Blinken will travel to Egypt on Tuesday for meetings with officials there, the State Department said, and may stop in at least one other country in the region before returning home.

A senior official traveling with Blinken said his arrival in the region comes at a “critical time” in the ceasefire talks and the secretary would will press all parties on the importance of concluding it quickly to end civilian suffering in Gaza and prevent the conflict from engulfing the region. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to preview Blinken’s travels.

Late last week, the three countries mediating the proposed ceasefire — Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. — reported progress on a deal under which Israel would halt most military operations in Gaza and release a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

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