US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has arrived in Israel for an anticipated tense one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza war, AFP reports.
Arriving from Cairo on the final leg of his new Middle East tour, Blinken is expected to impress on his host the urgent need to increase humanitarian aid to the devastated Palestinian territory and urge Israel not to launch a major ground offensive in Rafah.
The visit to Tel Aviv will conclude Blinken's sixth round of diplomatic missions to the region since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
His trip coincides with the resumption of talks in Doha aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement tied to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
A UN vote on a US-sponsored Security Council resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Gaza conflict is also expected today. /BGNES
