Israel s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in southern Israel. They visited Kibbutz Nir Oz, attacked by Hamas, and "Kerem Shalom", a key aid crossing to Gaza. They discussed returning hostages held by Hamas and the need to dismantle the terrorist group. Gallant emphasized the distinction between fighting Hamas and aiding Gaza s civilians. He reiterated Israel s determination to destroy Hamas, blaming them for starting the conflict.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Antony Blinken expressed a hope that Hamas will accept a generous offer to halt Israel s Gaza offensive in return for the release of hostages.
The China visit by Blinken comes after a series of highest-level interactions between the two countries, including the phone call between the Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, which was followed by a visit to Beijing by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a telephone call that the Defense Secretary has had last week with his Chinese counterparts.