Blinken Arrives in Jeddah for New Talks on Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia to discuss Gaza. The U.S. State Department announced that "Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the Middle East this week as Washington seeks a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to allow for the release of hostages." The department stated: "Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt and will meet with senior leaders in both countries, where he will discuss ways to provide more humanitarian assistance to Gaza, in addition to planning for the post-war phase." This will be Blinken's sixth trip to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.