Blinken lands in Israel on first Middle East trip

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel early Tuesday at the start of his first Middle East tour, with the avowed mission of “bolstering the ceasefire with Gaza’s Hamas and help to speed humanitarian aid” to the Palestinian enclave.
As he landed, Israeli authorities allowed convoys of fuel, medicine and food “earmarked for the private sector” to enter the Gaza Strip. As well as talks with Israel’s leaders, Blinken will visit Ramallah, Amman and Cairo.

Although Iran was not mentioned by US officials, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will raise the issue when he meets the Secretary. He commented on Monday that Israel may face “independent decisions” to stop Iran gaining a nuclear weapon.