US Foreign Minister Safari To The Middle East Seeks Support From Gaza's Armistice Proposal

JAKARTA - United States (US) Foreign Minister Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East next week.

This trip is amid Washington's trying to pressure Israel and Hamas into accepting a ceasefire proposal proposed by President Joe Biden. explained last week.

During his eighth visit to the region since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, the top US diplomats will visit Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar and meet with Middle Eastern countries.

Blinken's visit came after Biden laid out a new ceasefire plan to end the eight-month war and at a time of tension between Israel and Hezbollah Lebanon has escalated in recent days, with both sides signaling readiness for a larger confrontation.

"The Foreign Minister will discuss how the ceasefire proposal will benefit Israel and Palestine," the State Department said in a statement.

"He will underline that this will ease suffering in Gaza, enabling a massive increase in humanitarian aid and allowing Palestinians to return to their environment," he added.

Talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and other countries to regulate the ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant movement in the Gaza war have repeatedly stalled, and each side blames each other for the lack of progress.

The ceasefire, the State Department said, would also open up the possibility of achieving calm along Israel's northern border with Lebanon and establish conditions for further integration between Israel and its neighboring Arab countries.

"The minister will also continue to reiterate the need to prevent conflict from increasing," the US Foreign Ministry explained.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, June 5, it said Israel was ready to take firm action in the northern region.

He warned in December Beirut would be turned into Gaza if Hezbollah started an all-out war.

The Israeli-Hamas war began when Palestinian fighters led by Hamas attacked southern Israel from Gaza, killing more than 1,200 people, and holding more than 250 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies.