US Secretary of State arrives in Israel.

According to CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Jerusalem to meet with Israeli officials. He also visited Tel Aviv last week.

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

A U.S. official said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and opposition leader Yair Lapid.

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

In response to the Hamas attack on October 7th, Israel established an emergency government and a cabinet to manage the state of war. Mr. Lapid was not part of the emergency government.

Mr. Blinken is undertaking a series of short trips to the Middle East – with 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 warned of a "deep chasm in the Middle East" as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens.

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

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

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

In the south, all eyes are on Rafah crossing 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 reported on October 16 that airstrikes had killed at least 2,750 people and injured more than 9,700. In addition, in the West Bank, 58 people were killed and over 1,250 were injured.

The number of casualties in Gaza since October 7th has surpassed the number of deaths in the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict.

Israel has closed two border crossings with Gaza and imposed a “total siege” on the territory. This has left the Rafah crossing as the only viable exit route for civilians from the area, as well as for delivering aid.

After days of speculation, there is still no sign that the border crossing will open. Officials in Egypt, Israel, and Gaza all say that no arrangements have been made to open the crossing, leaving humanitarian aid supplies piling up on the Egyptian side of the border.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he has spoken with the families of 14 Americans who remain missing in Israel. John Kirby, the National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communications, said that "a small number" of those individuals are among those taken hostage by Hamas.

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

Phuong Anh (Source: CNN)

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