U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel yesterday as part of Washington’s ceasefire efforts. The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt are currently attempting to secure a ceasefire and captive swap deal between Israel and Hamas. The mediators believe the proposal they put forward may finally close the gap between the two groups. Negotiations are planned to resume in Cairo in the next few days, following two days of negotiations in Doha this week. Blinken is expected to meet with Israeli senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before going to Egypt on Tuesday. 

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/18/top-us-diplomat-blinken-visiting-israel-as-gaza-truce-efforts-set-to-resume