It will be his third trip to the region since Hamas launched a war with Israel on October 7, when thousands of terrorists from Gaza invaded southern Israeli communities, massacring 1,200 people, mostly civilians in their homes and at a music festival, and taking some 240 hostages.
Blinken will travel to the Middle East after attending Ukraine-focused meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels and Skopje, North Macedonia, where foreign ministers from NATO and the Organization for Peace and Security in Europe are gathering.
The four-day truce agreement between Israel and Hamas had been due to expire early Tuesday but was extended for an additional two days, meaning the extension will presumably be expiring just as Blinken arrives.
Hamas has freed 50 Israeli women and children since Friday when the lull in fighting took effect, and also released 18 foreign nationals and one Israeli, a dual Russian citizen, as part of separate agreements. Israel released 150 Palestinian security prisoners, mostly women and underage males. READ MORE
