US Secretary of State Blinken departs for Middle East, talks on halting fighting in Gaza Strip, etc. Secretary Blinken's visit to the Middle East is his fifth since conflict between Israel and Hamas began last October.
White House National Security Advisor Sullivan, who is in charge of security policy, said in an interview on ABC TV on the 4th, ``At this point, I cannot say that we are at the point where negotiations will be concluded anytime soon.'' It is unclear whether negotiations will being concluded through the visit to Middle East.