Israel-Hamas war: Antony Blinken again heads to Middle East to push for peace in Gaza
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Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, is heading to the Middle East for his fifth trip to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. He is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar in an effort to secure a new truce. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza will be a focus of the trip, with Blinken stressing the need to address the urgent needs in the region. The war was triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of about 1,160 people. The proposed truce would pause fighting for six weeks and involve the release of hostages by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, no agreement has been reached yet. The Gaza Strip has faced dire humanitarian conditions, with limited access to clean water and sanitation. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is facing controversy after accusations that 12 staff members were involved in Hamas's attack. Several countries, including the United States, have suspended their funding to UNRWA. Blinken's visit comes amid rising violence across the region by Iran-backed groups in solidarity with Hamas.
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