Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due in Egypt on Thursday, and Israel on Friday, amid faltering cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas. With Israel, he will discuss the negotiations and “the need to defeat Hamas, including in Rafah, in a way that … will hopefully protect civilian populations, does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and advances Israel’s overall security,” a spokesman said. The U.S. said it will review a written assurance from Israel that its use of U.S.-supplied defense equipment does not violate international or U.S. human rights law.