Blinken is coming back to the region: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be heading back to Egypt and Saudi Arabia this week to push for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, he told reporters yesterday (watch, runtime: 34:09). During his sixth trip to the region since the start of the war, he will meet with Egyptian and Saudi “leadership” and discuss “the right architecture for lasting regional peace.”

The timeline: Blinken will be in Jeddah today before heading to Cairo on Thursday.

On the agenda: Blinken “will discuss efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire agreement that secures the release of all remaining hostages, intensified international efforts to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and coordination on post-conflict planning for Gaza,” State Department Matthew Miller said in a statement. He will also “discuss the imperative of ending Houthi attacks on commercial ships and restoring stability and security to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”

Where things currently stand: Israel and Hamas are currently in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, Israeli officials and sources with knowledge of the matter told Axios. Qatari and Egyptian mediators led by Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani met with an Israeli delegation headed by Mossad chief David Barnea in Doha on Monday.

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