On his fifth trip to the region since Hamas’s shock October 7 attack, which started the war, Blinken is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and Qatar.
He is expected to discuss a proposed truce thrashed out in a Paris meeting in January of top US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials.
The proposed truce would pause fighting for an initial six weeks as Hamas frees hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, according to a Hamas source. Hamas has said no agreement has yet been reached, while some Israeli officials have expressed opposition to concessions.
Commenting on the negotiations, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is not “right around the corner.” READ MORE
