Blinken will travel to the Middle East for the 11th time since the start of the Gaza war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to the Middle East. During the tour, which will last several days, he will visit Israel and Arab countries. This is his 11th trip to the region since the outbreak of hostilities between the Jewish state and the Hamas terrorist group.

On October 22, Blinken will hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Yitzhak Herzog. “He will discuss the importance of ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of hostages and easing the suffering of Palestinians,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

One of the tasks of the American politician will be to ensure the delivery of American aid to the Gaza Strip. The US administration has threatened to stop supplying arms to Israel if this issue is not resolved. The US fears that Israel intends to expel the Palestinians from the northern part of the strip.

Other items on the agenda for the talks include hostilities between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as Israel’s planned retaliatory strike on Iran, which can be expected to be delayed while a US administration official is in the region.

Joe Biden will leave the presidency this coming January. On November 5, the US will hold presidential elections that will determine who will become the new occupant of the White House. Blinken’s mission could be Biden’s last chance to reach a Middle East settlement.