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Israel-Gaza war: Palestinians hope Blinken visit can deliver truce before Rafah assault
- US secretary of state returns to the Middle East to push for an extended Israel-Hamas ceasefire
- Israel has pressed further south in Gaza, warning that its ground forces could advance on Rafah
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The United States’ top diplomat met Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler on Monday during a Middle East visit Palestinians hope will clinch a truce before a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah, a border city where about half the Gaza population is sheltering.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh at the start of his first trip to the region since Washington brokered an offer, with Israeli input, for the first extended ceasefire of the war.
Blinken’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman lasted about two hours.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken and the crown prince had discussed regional coordination to achieve “an enduring end” to the crisis. “The Secretary underscored the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict,” Miller said in a statement.
Blinken did not answer reporters’ questions as he returned to his hotel.
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