(Bloomberg) -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to travel to Israel and other countries in the Middle East later Monday in a renewed push for a cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hamas following the death of its leader Yahya Sinwar.
Blinken will visit the region Oct. 21-25 on what will be his 11th trip to that part of the world since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. President Joe Biden has urged Israel to “move on” toward a cease-fire in the wake of Sinwar’s killing last week.
Blinken will “discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end,” Miller said in a statement. “He will underscore that additional food, medicine and other humanitarian aid must be delivered to civilians in Gaza.”
So far Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed aside US pressure to end the fighting with Hamas, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.
Late Sunday, Israel launched a military operation targeting Hezbollah economic strongholds in Lebanon. The Israeli military also issued evacuation warnings to civilians as it prepared to hit targets on its neighbor’s territory.
Israeli leaders have rebuffed Blinken repeatedly on his trips, refusing to commit to a cease-fire and forcing him to return home empty-handed.
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