US Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Israel to revive ceasefire talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Israeli leaders, the first stop of a wider Middle East tour to launch another push for an elusive ceasefire.

The top U.S. diplomat's latest trip - his 11th to the region since Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the Gaza war - comes as the Israeli military has intensified its campaign in the Palestinian enclave as well as in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia.

Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and other officials during the day as part of a week-long Middle East visit that also includes Jordan and Qatar.


Diplomatic efforts have thus far failed to bring an end to the year-long Gaza war and its spillover conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has dramatically intensified in recent weeks after a year of exchanging fire mostly across Lebanon's southern border.

Hezbollah early on Tuesday morning said it had launched volleys of rockets at two Israeli military bases near Tel Aviv and a naval base west of Haifa.