UPDATE – US' Blinken Arrives In Israel To Bolster Gaza Cease-Fire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on a host of regional issues, including a recent cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip and Iran.

Speaking at a press conference with Blinken, Netanyahu said their talks dwelt on ways of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the release of Israeli soldiers held captives by Hamas, and the recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state."

The Israeli premier vowed a "very powerful response" if Hamas breaks a cease-fire that ended a deadly 11-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Blinken, for his part, said his mission in Israel was to reaffirm US commitment to Israel's security, work on reducing tension in the West Bank and Jerusalem, lead calls for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and strengthen relations with the Palestinian Authority and people.

"We know that to prevent a return to violence we have to use the space created to address a larger set of underlying issues and challenges," Blinken said. "And that begins with tackling the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and starting to rebuild."

At least 253 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, were killed, and more than 1,900 others injured in 11 days of massive Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The violence erupted against the backdrop of tension over an Israeli court ruling to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem and police assaults on worshippers inside the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Thirteen Israelis were also killed in Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The fighting, the fiercest in years, came to a halt on Friday under an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire.

Iran nuclear dealNetanyahu said Iran figured high during his discussions with Blinken, voicing hope that the US "will not return to the [nuclear] agreement with Iran" as that will pave way for the latter to possess nuclear weapons with "international legitimacy."

Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions in a move aimed to bring Iran back to negotiations for what Trump hoped would be a "better" deal.

Talks between Iran and Western powers on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal have been ongoing in Vienna in recent weeks.

Netanyahu warned that Israel reserves the right "to defend itself against a regime [Iran] committed to our destruction."

Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on the first stop in his first Middle East tour since taking office.

Following his meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken will meet other senior Israeli officials, including President Reuven Rivlin and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, according to Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department.

Ned also pointed that Blinken will later proceed to Ramallah where "he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, and other senior officials from the Palestinian Authority," before moving on to visit Cairo and Amman.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara -