U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Friday morning in Israel, where he is expected to push Israel to implement “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive planning around the trip. Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah will make a speech on the same day that may shed light on whether the group will escalate its attacks on Israel. In Gaza, Israel’s raids have ramped up into a full-fledged ground invasion. Troops are conducting “face-to-face” combat with Hamas militants, Gen. Herzi Halevi, Israel’s chief of staff, said.
