Blinken arrives in Israel amid missiles in bid to revive ceasefire push
Al Jazeera
Israel and Hezbollah swap strikes as US secretary of state launches long-shot ceasefire plan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Israel in a bid to revive ceasefire talks to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Blinken’s arrival on Tuesday marks his 11th visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began more than a year ago. However, it is his first since Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah escalated late last month, and expectations for his attempt to rein in the hostilities appear low.
The visit got off to an inauspicious start as Hezbollah launched medium-range missiles towards Tel Aviv, temporarily shutting down Ben Gurion Airport, at which Blinken landed, according to Israeli media.
The US official is due to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials. As well as seeking to restart talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as well as Hezbollah, Washington is also wary of its ally’s intentions regarding military retaliation for Iran’s October 1 missile attack.
The US-led diplomatic efforts have thus far failed to bring an end to the yearlong Gaza war and its spillover conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Fear persists that the hostilities will escalate into a full-blown regional war.
