United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Israel on Friday during his sixth Middle East Tour since the beginning of the war in Gaza, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing an Israeli official.
The media outlet further reported that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon next week.
The news of the official visits comes at a time of strained relations between the US and Israel over the Israeli military's planned operation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza and Washington's demands to see an "implementable" plan for that action.
