Blinken travels to the Middle East: Discussing With Israeli and Palestinian Officials

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to the Middle East on Monday to discuss with Israeli and Palestinian officials, after reaching the ceasefire last week, which enabled the end of the 11-day fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Secretary Blinken's first stop will be Israel and then he will visit the West Coast, Jordan and Egypt.

“Blinken will meet with Israeli leaders about our strong commitment to Israel's security”, said US President Joe Biden through a statement. His visit, according to the statement, is part of the American administration's efforts to support the Palestinian people.

While in talks with regional country officials, Blinken will commit to international co-ordination to provide aid to Gaza.

The United States aims to help Gaza so that the means do not fall into the hands of Hamas, the group leading the city, but considered terrorist by Israel, the US and other Western countries.

The Biden administration was criticised for its initial response to deadly violence. The criticism has also taken place by Democratic allies in Congress, who were calling for a harsher attitude towards Israel and its response to Hamas' missile attacks.

In the dekarata, Biden said Washington was committed to a quiet and intensive <x0diplomacy” in order to reach the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.