US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to return to Egypt on Wednesday, marking his first visit to the Middle East since the October 7 attacks. However, notably absent from his itinerary is a stop in Israel, a departure from his usual practice of engaging with Israeli officials during such visits.
Blinken's visit comes at a critical juncture as doubts loom over the prospects of reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal before President Joe Biden's term concludes. The top US diplomat's previous visit to Israel in August had sparked public optimism about progress towards a resolution, but that optimism has since waned.
