Blinken Heads to Israel to Push for Gaza Cease-Fire
March 22, 2024 4:17 AM By
VOA News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, speaks with senior staff including US Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Tom Sullivan before he departs Egypt for Israel, in Cairo, Egypt, March 22, 2024.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Israel Friday in a high-stakes attempt to secure a cease-fire between Israel and the militant group Hamas as the U.N. Security Council prepares to vote on a U.S. draft resolution calling for an "immediate" truce.
In Israel, Blinken will "discuss the need to ensure the defeat of Hamas, including in Rafah, in a way that protects the civilian population, does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and advances Israel's overall security," according to a State Department statement.
Israelis attend a mass prayer calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attacks by Palestinian militants, at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on March 21, 2024.