United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured right) have started a private meeting in Jerusalem, as confirmed by Netayanhu's office on Wednesday.
Following the closed-door discussion, a larger encounter of the two parties will be held where the Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister, the Chief of the General Staff, the Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister's Military Secretary, the Designated Military Secretary, the Political Counselor and Israel's Ambassador to the US will attend. On Washington's side, the US Ambassador to Israel, the Assistant Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs will join.
The meeting comes as the US is pushing for a ceasefire deal between Israeli forces and Hamas to happen immediately.