The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Israel in a renewed push for a Gaza ceasefire, an AFP reporter travelling with him said, days after Israeli forces killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Blinken, launching his regional tour exactly two weeks before US elections, will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will then head on Wednesday to Jordan before additional stops, US officials said.
President Joe Biden has voiced hope for a new opportunity to end the year-long Gaza war after Israel last week killed Sinwar, who had been described by US officials as intransigent in negotiations.
But US officials downplayed chances for a ceasefire breakthrough to be announced during Blinken’s trip, in part as Hamas has yet to appoint a new leader.
A senior US official said Blinken would also speak to Israel’s leadership about the US ally’s intended retaliation against Iran for an October 1 missile barrage fired at Israel.
The United States, which has sent a top-end THAAD missile defence system to Israel, expects Israel to hit Iran but hopes for an operation that does not sharply escalate regional conflict, the official said.
Blinken is also set to speak to Israel about its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has expanded to include strikes on financial targets linked to the Iran-backed group.
The United States has stopped short of urging an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon but has voiced hope for an eventual “diplomatic solution” that ends the fighting and spares civilians.
The United States provides Israel with billions of dollars in weapons per year, a crucial flow that is expected to continue irrespective of whether Vice President Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins the November 5 election.
But Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in a recent letter warned Israel that the United States was ready to withhold some aid unless it improves the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the situation has been described by the United Nations as catastrophic.
Trump has criticised Biden for encouraging restraint by Israel.
