Anthony Blinken arrives in Middle East to renew push for Gaza ceasefire

Mediating countries have so far failed to narrow enough differences to reach an agreement in months of on-off negotiations, and violence continued unabated in Gaza on Sunday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he disembarks from his plane in Tel Aviv, Israel. Picture: (Kevin Mohatt/Pool Photo via AP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday on a Middle East tour aimed at intensifying diplomatic pressure to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza this week to end the bloodshed between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

On his 10th trip to the region since the war began in October, Blinken will meet on Monday with senior Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior State Department official said.