Several top Biden administration officials plan to travel to the Middle East for hostage deal, and ceasefire negotiations, as well as discussions that aim to de-escalate the region and prevent it from entering a wider war, Axios reported Saturday.
Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, is expected to travel to Cairo in the next several days for talks with Egyptian and Israeli officials to finalize security arrangements on the Gaza-Egypt border, Axios reported, citing US officials. These security arrangements are to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza and to reopen the Rafah crossing.
Additionally, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday that he is considering traveling to the Middle East in the second week of August to join efforts in pushing for a deal and preventing escalation, US and Israeli officials said.
If the war escalates, these officials will not make the trip.