Blinken travels to the Middle East as the United States seeks to initiate peace negotiations in Gaza

Following the murder of Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar, Washington is working to begin truce talks to end the Gaza war, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will leave for the Middle East on Monday, according to the State Department.

As Israel has stepped up its military campaign against Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon, the top U.S. official is making his eleventh journey to the region since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which set off the Gaza war.

According to a statement from the State Department, Blinken will talk with regional leaders about the significance of putting an end to the war in Gaza, how to develop a post-conflict strategy for the Palestinian enclave, and how to resolve the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict diplomatically.

The State Department stated that Israel would be the first stop on the top diplomat’s trip, but it did not specify the other precise locations.

“Throughout the region, Secretary Blinken will discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people,” the State Department stated in a statement.

“He will continue discussions on post-conflict period planning and emphasize the need to chart a new path forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives,” stated the statement.

After Israel last week assassinated Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7 attack, U.S. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, and a number of other Western officials have stated that they all want the year-long war in Gaza to stop.

However, Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has already declared that the war will go on. According to analysts, he might rather wait until Biden’s term ends in January and take his chances with the next president, either Harris or her Republican opponent Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has had a close relationship.

According to the State Department, Blinken will also emphasize the need for more food, medication, and other humanitarian help to be sent to Gaza’s civilian population.

In recent days, Israel has intensified its military operation in Gaza. at order to treat patients at the three hospitals that are still partially operational in the area, health officials have reported shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies while the war has continued.

According to Israeli estimates, some 1,200 individuals were murdered in the Oct. 7 Hamas raid, and another 253 were returned to Gaza as hostages. More than 42,500 Palestinians have died in Israel’s ensuing conflict in Gaza, and a another 10,000 are believed to be under the debris, according to Gaza health officials.