US Secretary of State arrives in Israel

According to CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Israeli officials. Last week, he also traveled to Tel Aviv.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Photo: Reuters)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and opposition leader Yair Lapid, a US official said.

Blinken will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog during the visit.

In response to the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel formed an emergency government and a cabinet to manage the state of war. Mr. Lapid did not join the emergency government.

Mr. Blinken is on a series of short trips to the Middle East — including visits to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar — as part of an urgent effort to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from leading to a civil disaster in Gaza and the crisis from escalating into a regional conflict.

Other developments

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of a "Middle East abyss" as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens.

Mr Guterres made an urgent appeal to Israel and Hamas. “Hamas must release the hostages immediately and unconditionally. Israel must provide rapid humanitarian aid for the benefit of civilians in Gaza.”

There has been little progress on these targets. Israel reports that at least 199 people are being held hostage in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials say Israel is still not providing water to the area.

In the south, all eyes are on Rafah across Egypt – the last possible route to Gaza. And in the north, all attention is focused on the movements of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Palestinian health authorities in Gaza said on October 16 that airstrikes had killed at least 2,750 people and wounded more than 9,700. In addition, in the West Bank, 58 people were killed and more than 1,250 were wounded.

The death toll in Gaza since October 7 has surpassed the number of people killed in the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict.

Israel has closed two border crossings with Gaza and imposed a “total siege” on the territory, leaving the Rafah crossing as the only viable way to get people out of the area and deliver aid.

After days of speculation, there has been no sign of the crossing opening. Officials in Egypt, Israel and Gaza have said no arrangements have been made to open the crossing, leaving humanitarian aid still piling up on the Egyptian side of the border.

US President Joe Biden said he had spoken to the families of 14 Americans still missing in Israel. US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said “a small number” of those individuals were among those held hostage by Hamas.

Mr Biden pledged to do “everything possible” to ensure the return of these citizens.

Phuong Anh (Source: CNN)

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