US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Israel. During his visit, the top diplomat will insist on an end to the war between Israel and Hamas
After a stop in Egypt to meet with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Blinken arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on ending the war in the Gaza Strip, AFP reported.
This is the eighth visit of the top American diplomat to the region since the war between Israel and Hamas began.
On June 8, the Israeli army conducted a rescue mission in Gaza, managing to free four hostages. However, over 200 Palestinians died as a result of the mission.
A day later, Netanyahu suffered his first major political blow in the conflict, when Benny Gantz and another minister from the military cabinet resigned.
Gantz, a former army chief, criticized Netanyahu in particular for failing to outline a plan for post-war Gaza governance and said the prime minister was "getting in the way" of "real victory".
Gantz challenged Netanyahu to set a date for elections, a demand shared by a large majority of Israelis.
Blinken is also expected to meet with Gantz during his visit, a senior United States official said. | BGNES