Blinken to Meet PM, War Cabinet During Brief Visit on Friday

By Yoni Weiss

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Israel on Friday for a brief stopover during his Middle East tour. During his visit, he will hold meetings with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the War Cabinet before departing.

Simultaneously, Israel confirmed that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will travel to Washington to meet with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. This visit, approved by Netanyahu, marks Gallant’s first trip since the onset of the war in Gaza and occurs amidst heightened tensions between Israel and the United States, particularly concerning the planned Israeli offensive on Rafah.

Furthermore, at the request of President Joe Biden, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi will also travel to Washington to engage with senior officials there. Described by the Prime Minister’s Office as essential for advancing the ongoing conflict efforts, their discussions are anticipated to center around IDF plans for the assault on Rafah. The Prime Minister’s Office emphasized Netanyahu’s determination to target Hamas battalions in Rafah while simultaneously providing humanitarian aid to civilians. Dermer and Hanegbi will be accompanied by Major-General Ghassan Alian, the coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

The White House released a statement noting that during a Monday telephone call between Biden and Netanyahu, both leaders agreed to have their respective teams explore alternatives focusing on targeting key Hamas figures and securing the Gaza-Egypt border without resorting to a large-scale operation in Rafah.