Blinken departs Israel without cease-fire agreement
- By Cindy Saine
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up his Middle East trip without an announcement of a cease-fire or hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Blinken during their meeting Wednesday that he would not accept an end to the war in Gaza as part of any hostage deal, and that a planned military operation on the city of Rafah would happen whether there was a cease-fire deal or not. VOA’s senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine reports.