Blinken will visit the Middle East on his fifth mission to the region since the war in Gaza began

state Secretary, anthony blinkenbut will be back Middle East In the coming days he will launch his fifth urgent diplomatic mission to the region Israel’s war against terrorist group Hamas In October, a White House and State Department official said on Wednesday.

Blinken will travel to the Middle East this week as part of the US government’s efforts to lay the groundwork for reconstruction and implementation of governance in the Gaza Strip after the war. Increase delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civiliansFree the hostages taken by Hamas and prevent the spread of war, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby and State Department officials.

The visit comes as talks have intensified Ceasefire And with the release of the hostages, there is growing fear that the conflict will spread across the region.

“These talks, our talks, have been very, very active,” Kirby said, referring to meetings last week between CIA Director William Burns and CIA Director William Burns. Senior Israeli and Egyptian officials, and the Prime Minister of Qatar. “We believe the discussions have been fruitful. “They’re headed in the right direction,” Kirby said.

The State Department official said Blinken would travel to the Middle East “in the coming days,” but could not provide an exact date or the locations he would visit as they plan the trip. In previous trips, Blinken visited Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Iraq.

blinkenand the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abderrahman Al ThaniThe mediator of the Gaza war said on Monday that progress has been made towards a deal between Israel and Hamas. Cease-fire and release of hostages.

Qatar’s president met the head of US diplomacy in Washington, a day after attending a meeting with the heads of Israeli, US and Egyptian intelligence services in Paris in search of an agreement.

“I think we are in a much better position right now than we were a few weeks ago,” Al Thani said during a speech at the think tank. Atlantic Council After the conclusion of the meeting with Blinken.

The Prime Minister reported that “good progress” had been made in Paris and put forward a proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages which Qatar would transfer to Hamas in the hope that it would respond in a “positive and constructive” manner.

Al Thani explained that their role is to achieve a “negotiated solution” that allows “the safe return of hostages to their homes” and “stops the bombardment and deaths of civilians” in the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas reached a single ceasefire agreement for a week between 24 and 30 November, which halted fighting and allowed the exchange of 105 hostages, including foreigners, for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners; Something that has not been repeated since.

The Palestinian militant group is now demanding a permanent ceasefire in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages, which the Israeli government has said it is unwilling to accept.

However, Israel assures that it will not accept the end of the war in Gaza as a bargainWhere fighting has resumed in the northern region after almost four months of offensive.

(With information from AP)