Secretary of State Blinken Departs for Israel in Middle East, Sets Sight on Discussions
Blinken is scheduled to meet with officials from the Egyptian government, according to Vedant Patel, the U.S. State Department's spokesperson. Discussions regarding a truce and the release of hostages, which were halted in Doha on Friday, are set to reconvene in Cairo towards the end of this week.
The U.S., Egypt, and the Gulf state of Qatar have been serving as intermediaries between Israel and the Islamic Palestinian group, Hamas, for several months. Hamas' unprecedented massive assault on Israel on October 7 ignited the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Vedant Patel confirmed that Secretary Blinken will be meeting with Egyptian officials to revive discussions on a truce and hostage release, which were interrupted last week in Doha. Upon learning about Hamas' aggressive actions against Israel on October 7, Vedant Patel emphasized the crucial roles of the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar in mediating peace efforts between Israel and Hamas.
