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full screen US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on previous trip to Jerusalem. Archive image. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Via AP/TT
For the fifth time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to the Middle East, where he will now try to negotiate a ceasefire and get the Hamas hostages free. Blinken visits Qatar and Egypt, which are behind the latest mediation attempt, as well as Saudi Arabia.
Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank are also targets for the trip, which begins on Sunday.
The United States “will continue diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement that secures the release of those who remain hostages,” the US State Department wrote on Friday.
The US Foreign Ministry also emphasizes that the goal is to reach “a humanitarian pause” in the fighting so that emergency aid and humanitarian support can reach the civilians in Gaza.