US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt to discuss efforts to establish a cease-fire in Gaza.
Blinken will meet with Saudi leaders in Jeddah on Wednesday before going to Cairo on Thursday to meet with Egyptian officials, spokesperson Matthew Miller said from the Philippines.
This will be Blinken's sixth journey to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.
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"The Secretary will discuss efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire agreement that secures the release of all remaining hostages, intensified international efforts to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and coordination on post-conflict planning for Gaza, including ensuring Hamas can no longer govern or repeat the attacks of October 7," Miller said in a statement.
Blinken will also discuss "a political path for the Palestinian people with security assurances with Israel and an architecture for lasting peace and security in the region."
Miller also stated that he would emphasize the need to put a halt to attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Huthi rebels to restore calm and security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Blinken is in Manila as part of a quick Asia visit to bolster US support for regional allies against China.
The conference followed Hamas' newest proposal for a six-week truce, significantly increased supplies to Gaza, and the initial release of about 42 hostages in return for Palestinian inmates held by Israel.
A Hamas spokesperson stated that during the proposed truce, Israeli soldiers will withdraw from "all cities and populated areas" in Gaza.
The war began on October 7, when Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive from Gaza, killing around 1,160 people in Israel, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official data.
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Hamas terrorists also kidnapped over 250 Israeli and international hostages, of which Israel thinks approximately 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 who are assumed dead.
Israel has launched a continuous bombing campaign and ground invasion, killing at least 31,726 people, the majority of them women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.
