U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, met the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, on Tuesday to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
This was contained in a statement by the U.S. State Department on Tuesday.
The negotiation was a part of the efforts by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt on Gaza.
The meeting was delayed for months.
Antony Blinken’s trip to the Middle East aimed to garner support for the latest proposal for a ceasefire in three phases.
The UN Security Council clarified the multi-stage plan presented by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday in New York.
According to the U.S., only the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement had not agreed to the plan.
However, the government of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has not given its clear and public approval to the plan either.
Blinken arrived in Egypt on Monday for the first leg of the tour and later held a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
According to the statement by the U.S. State Department, Blinken told Netanyahu: “The United States and other world leaders will stand behind the comprehensive proposal outlined by President Biden.”
In the statement, Blinken also “updated the prime minister on ongoing diplomatic efforts to plan for the post-conflict period.”
He also met opposition leader, Yair Lapid,g on Tuesday and is due to hold talks with Israeli lawmaker, Benny Gantz.
Benny Gantz had just quit the Israeli emergency government formed, following the Oct. 7 attacks.
Blinken’s Middle East tour is expected to last until Wednesday (tomorrow). It also includes a stop in Qatar.
