Tel Aviv [Israel], January 9 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday held a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, The Times of Israel reported.
The two sat with Netanyahu's full war cabinet.
Blinken on Tuesday also met Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Their discussions focused on the region, including a briefing from Blinken on his conversations with Turkish and Arab leaders in recent days.
They also discussed this week's hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on South Africa's genocide allegations against Israel in its war against Hamas, as per The Times of Israel.
The two also discussed about hostages, and held a "tangible" discussion on the question of what Gaza will look like after Hamas has been toppled, says the official.
Earlier on Tuesday, Blinken met Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and stressed that bringing the hostages home, returning displaced Israelis to their communities in the south, and restoring a sense of security is only possible if Hamas is defeated and Hezbollah withdraws from the border area in Lebanon.
"I know of your own efforts, over many years, to build much greater connectivity and integration in the Middle East, and I think there are actually real opportunities there," Blinken said, as per The Times of Israel.
"But we have to get through this very challenging moment and ensure that October 7 can never happen again and work to build a much different and much better future."
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