U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Wednesday on a Middle East mission to prevent a wider war from erupting after an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas militants and an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
In a show of solidarity with Washington's closest Middle East ally, Blinken was due to meet senior Israeli officials, possibly including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss further boosting military support.
"That number could still go up, and it probably will," Blinken said, adding that U.S. officials were working with Israeli counterparts to determine the fates of other U.S. citizens who remained unaccounted for.that have killed more than 1,100 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military said its troops had killed at least 1,000 Palestinian gunmen who infiltrated from Gaza.
A top priority for Blinken will be to convey a message of deterrence, largely aimed at Iran and Iran-backed groups such asHezbollah has moved carefully since Hamas and Israel went to war, keeping Israeli troops busy with attacks at the Lebanese border but not opening a big front, sources familiar with its thinking say.
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