Live: Blinken heads to Middle East for Gaza ceasefire push as Israel strikes Beirut US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for the Middle East Monday on a new push for an elusive Gaza ceasefire two weeks before US elections, seeing a new opportunity from Israel's killing of Hamas's leader. It will be the 11th trip to the Middle East by the top US diplomat since war broke out a year ago. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates on the Middle East crisis.