Blinken meets with Israeli opposition leaders amid Gaza truce push

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with top Israeli opposition leaders as the United States continues to push for a truce deal in Gaza.

Blinken held talks with Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid in Israel on Tuesday before travelling to Jordan to attend an international Gaza aid conference.

In his meeting with Gantz, Blinken blamed Hamas for failure to reach a truce agreement.

“They discussed the proposal to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal that would secure the release of all hostages and surge humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza,” the State Department said in a statement describing the meeting.

Gantz, who resigned from Israel’s war cabinet and joined the opposition on Sunday, is seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main domestic rival.

It is rare for the top US diplomat to meet opposition figures on foreign trips, although he has met Gantz and Lapid on several previous visits to Israel.