With the US becoming increasingly apprehensive over the fighting in the Gaza Strip and on Israel’s northern border, senior Israeli leaders met with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.

In Israel for his fifth visit since the October 7 Hamas attacks, Blinken met in Tel Aviv with President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He was also slated to sit with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, the heads of Israel’s intelligence agencies, the full war cabinet, and families of the hostages taken by Hamas.

On Wednesday morning, Blinken will meet with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.

Standing next to Herzog, Blinken spoke about Washington’s “relentless efforts” to bring the hostages home from Hamas captivity. He added that he will share what he heard from regional allies with Herzog and Netanyahu.

Herzog underscored that Israel is doing its “utmost under extremely complicated circumstances on the ground, to make sure that there will be no unintended consequences and no civilian casualties.”

“We are alerting, we are calling, we are showing, we are sending leaflets, we are using all the means that international law enables us in order to move out people, so that we can unravel this huge city of terror underneath, in people’s homes, living rooms and bedrooms, mosques and shops and schools,” Herzog said.

Some families of Gaza hostages rallied outside the meeting, urging US President Joe Biden’s administration to do more to release the abductees.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Herzog’s private conversation with Blinken 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 upcoming hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on South Africa’s genocide allegations against Israel in its war against Hamas.

The two also discussed hostages, and held a “tangible” discussion on the question of what Gaza will look like after Hamas has been toppled, said the official.

In his meeting, Katz 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,” responded Blinken.

“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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