Blinken meets with Israeli leaders in an effort to renew the push for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah exchange strikes as US secretary of state launches long-shot ceasefire plan.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume ceasefire negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and pushed for greater humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Palestinian region.

Arriving in Israel on Tuesday for his 11th visit to the Middle East since the Gaza conflict began over a year ago, Blinken’s trip follows a recent escalation of Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah. However, the visit started off on a tense note, as Hezbollah launched medium-range missiles toward Tel Aviv, briefly closing Ben Gurion Airport where Blinken landed, according to Israeli reports. During a meeting in Jerusalem, Blinken encouraged Netanyahu to leverage Israel’s recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to help bring the Gaza conflict to a close.

Blinken stressed the need to use the momentum from Sinwar’s death to secure the release of all hostages and end the Gaza conflict in a way that guarantees long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Additionally, Blinken urged Israel to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure it reaches all civilians there.

Netanyahu’s office expressed hope that Sinwar’s death might positively influence the release of hostages and help achieve the war’s broader goals. However, the possibility of a ceasefire was not addressed, despite Gaza’s destruction over the past year, with most of its 2.3 million residents displaced and Hamas’s military significantly weakened.

During the talks, Blinken and Netanyahu also explored ways to implement a stalled 2006 UN resolution aimed at restoring peace along the Israel-Lebanon border. However, as these discussions took place, Hezbollah dismissed the idea of negotiations while fighting continued, and claimed responsibility for a recent drone attack on Netanyahu’s holiday home.

Netanyahu further emphasized the need for security and political changes in Lebanon to allow Israelis affected by Hezbollah rocket attacks to return to their homes.

Israel’s conflict with the Hezbollah group, backed by Iran, has escalated in recent weeks after a year of ongoing border clashes. Early on Tuesday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a barrage of rockets targeting two Israeli military bases near Tel Aviv and a naval base in Haifa. In response, Israel declared a state of emergency in the Tel Aviv area, with reports of one man injured by falling debris in Ma’agan Michael.

“This marks the first time Hezbollah has used medium-range missiles,” according to Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan. He noted that Hezbollah recently announced a shift in strategy regarding its approach to Israel, suggesting further use of medium-range weapons is likely.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported 18 deaths, including four children, and at least 60 injuries after an overnight Israeli strike near Rafik Hariri University Hospital in southern Beirut.

Given the violence surrounding Blinken’s visit, hopes for a breakthrough in the ceasefire negotiations remain low. “The tone from Netanyahu and his government, as well as from the Israeli opposition, suggests defiance, making it a difficult situation,” reported Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom from Amman, Jordan.

Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, however, expressed hope that Blinken’s visit might at least keep the option of a ceasefire on the table, saying, “It is really time to end this war. We are all paying a high price and suffering.”

Following his visit to Israel, Blinken is scheduled to travel to Jordan on Wednesday to discuss humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, according to a U.S. official accompanying him.