U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday kicked off a series of meetings with Israeli leaders discussing how to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza while at the same time repeatedly urged Palestinian militant Hamas to accept a deal offer that will release hostages and achieve a ceasefire, APA reports citing Reuters.
Following visits to Riyadh and Amman earlier this week, the top U.S. diplomat is now in Israel for the final stop of his wider Middle East tour.
It is Blinken's seventh visit to the region which was plunged into conflict on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel.
Blinken's top priority in Israel will be to push the Israeli government to take a set of specific steps so that improvements in the humanitarian aid flow into the densely populated enclave.
"Even as we're working with relentless determination to get the ceasefire that brings the hostages home, we also have to be focused on people in Gaza for suffering in this crossfire of Hamas' making," Blinken said in remarks at the start of his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.
"Focused on getting them the assistance they need, the food, and medicine, the water or shelter is also very much on our minds," Blinken said.
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