Blinken in Israel again to discuss ongoing campaign against Hamas
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Friday, November 3, for a meeting with the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-ranking officials, marking his third visit since the Hamas attack on October 7, CNN reports.
In his comments to the media before departing from Washington yesterday, Blinken said his plans to discuss with the Israeli government the "the ongoing campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization" and "steps that need to be taken to protect civilians."
The U.S. Secretary of State also intends to address the hostages held by Hamas and prevent a broader regional conflict.
According to Blinken, the continuous flow of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians will be another key topic of his discussions in Israel.
U.S. aid to Israel
Discussions are currently underway in the Senate regarding President Joe Biden's request to Congress for $106 billion in aid. Out of this sum, $61.3 billion is proposed for Ukraine, and $14.3 billion for Israel.
The newly elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has suggested not combining the new aid packages for Ukraine and Israel into one. He wishes for the House to vote on these initiatives separately.
Besides, the United States has deployed its military personnel and two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
