US Secretary of State To Visit Israel And Jordan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will go to Israel and Jordan through Wednesday, the State Department confirmed, following discussions between the US and Israeli leaders about hostage release.

Blinken will visit both countries, a State Department official revealed Sunday, as the top US diplomat refueled in Ireland on his way to a previously planned stop in Saudi Arabia.

The trip was announced after President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone about ongoing negotiations to cease Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of captives.

Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been attempting to mediate a fresh truce between Israel and Hamas for months, as public demand for a solution grows.

Biden also expressed concerns about Israel conducting an operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where over one million Palestinians have sought refuge.

The State Department did not immediately provide details of the two stops.

In a statement announcing the earlier Saudi stop, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated Blinken would assist ceasefire efforts.

“It is Hamas that is standing between the Palestinian people and a ceasefire”, Miller added.