Blinken crisscrosses Middle East to broker Gaza ceasefire deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken crisscrossed the Middle East on Tuesday as part of Washington’s latest diplomatic push to secure a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage release deal as major areas of dispute remained between Israel and Hamas.

Blinken first met with Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in the coastal town of Alamein. Egypt has been helping mediate the on-off Gaza talks for months along with the US and Qatar.

Sisi said after their meeting that it was time to put...