By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks in Jerusalem on Tuesday at the start of the top US diplomat’s regional tour.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem,” Netanyahu’s office said on X.
No further details were provided about the content of the talks.
Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on the first leg of a regional tour to revive Gaza cease-fire talks between Tel Aviv and Hamas.
The chief diplomat, on his 11th trip to the region since Oct. 7, 2023, is expected to discuss with top Israeli officials the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as Tel Aviv's potential response to Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack on Israel.
"On my way to Israel and other stops in the Middle East for intensive discussions about the importance of ending the war in Gaza, returning the hostages to their families, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Blinken said on X before his departure.
Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar have so far failed to yield a cease-fire, but Washington maintains that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week may lead to a breakthrough in talks. Hamas, however, says the conflict will end when Israel stops its military campaign in the blockaded enclave, which has killed more than 42,700 people since last year.