Blinken heading to Middle East amid Israel-Hamas cease-fire

Washington — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to the Middle East on Monday at the request of President Biden as the fragile cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas continues to hold.

The State Department said in a statement Blinken will visit Israel, the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan to discuss the truce and reduce the risks of further violence between Israel and Hamas.  Beginning in Jerusalem, the secretary of state will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials. Blinken will then travel to Ramallah to sit down with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian leaders, followed by a trip to Cairo for a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Blinken will end his visit in Amman, Jordan, to meet with His Majesty King Abdullah II.