Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel on Friday, pushed Israeli leaders to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip and to take “humanitarian pauses” to facilitate the flow of aid and the release of hostages. Israel would agree to no “temporary cease-fire” that did not involve the return of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has restricted Pentagon transportation for official travel to Israel. A senior defense official said that “it’s just not a safe time to travel there.”
