U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a news conference following meetings at the Danish Foreign Ministry, Eigtved’s Warehouse, in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 17, 2021.
Saul Loeb | Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to the Middle East this week on the heels of nearly two weeks of violence between Israel and Palestinians, a White House statement said Monday.
“Following up on our quiet, intensive diplomacy to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, I have asked my Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, to travel to the Middle East this week,” the statement from President Joe Biden read, emphasizing that part of the trip would involve Blinken meeting with Israeli leaders “about our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”
