U.S.'s Blinken to visit Middle East amid resumed Gaza truce talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the Middle East this week, aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and secure the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.

During a visit to the Philippines, Blinken said his trip to meet senior leaders in Saudi Arabia and Egypt would aim to "discuss the right architecture for lasting regional peace."

Providing more humanitarian aid to Gaza and discussing post-war planning for the enclave are among the topics he will discuss with Saudi and Egyptian officials.

"One hundred percent of the Gaza population is in need of humanitarian assistance," Blinken said, adding that it was "absolutely incumbent" upon Israel to prioritize assistance for those in desperate need.

Extreme food shortages in parts of the Gaza Strip have already exceeded famine levels, and mass death is now imminent without an immediate ceasefire and surge of food to areas cut off by fighting, global hunger monitor Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification has said.

The Biden administration is facing mounting criticism domestically and internationally over its support for Israel. While having repeatedly pushed for a ceasefire, Washington's backing has bolstered Israel in its relentless war in Gaza.

"We've also impressed upon Israel the imperative of having a plan for Gaza for when the conflict ends, which we hope will be as soon as possible, consistent with Israel's needs to defend itself and make sure October 7 can never happen again," Blinken said.

Israel has said it will try to "flood" the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid from varied entry points as global pressure mounts to tackle the growing problem of hunger in the besieged enclave.

But despite U.S. opposition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed during a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israeli forces would thrust into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded enclave.

(With input from Reuters)