US top diplomat Blinken to visit Israel, West Bank next week

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit comes after a ceasefire was reached to end deadly Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip.

The United States’ top diplomat is expected to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank next week, just days after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Palestinian faction Hamas to end 11 days of deadly Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip. An unnamed source told the Reuters news agency on Saturday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would visit Israel as well as Palestinian Authority leaders in the West Bank on Wednesday and Thursday. The State Department has not yet released the full details of Blinken’s travel plans, but the source told Reuters that Blinken would also visit Egypt and Jordan.