Blinken flies to Israel for tense talks as threat of widening conflict looms

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with officials in Israel on Tuesday for tense, high-stakes talks as the Gaza war threatens to engulf the Middle East.

Making his fourth tour in the region since war broke out Oct. 7, Blinken arrived in Qatar on Sunday warning that the fighting in Gaza could “easily metastasize” into a region-wide conflict.

With Israel continuing to fight Hamas forces in Gaza, as well as Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon and the Red Sea, Blinken told reporters that the US has “an intense focus on preventing this conflict from spreading.

“These are not necessarily easy conversations, but it is vital that we engage in this diplomacy now both for the future of Gaza itself and for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Blinken said.

While in Qatar, the top US diplomat also discussed efforts to free the more than 130 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas after a previous Qatari-led agreement ended.

Blinken spoke with officials in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia before arriving in Tel Aviv later Monday to press its leadership on boosting humanitarian aid to Gaza, too.