Blinken arrives in Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel Friday on a trip focused on measures to minimize harm to civilians in the war in Gaza. Prior to his departure, Blinken said he would seek "concrete steps" from Israel to ensure that harm to Palestinian civilians is reduced, as US President Joe Biden also called for humanitarian pauses in the conflict.
This is Blinken's second trip to the Middle East since fighting erupted on October 7 after Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out a massive attack on southern Israel that left 1,400 people dead, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.