US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday afternoon where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and President Isaac Herzog.
Blinken is expected to pressure the Israeli officials to accept the proposed ceasefire and hostage deal that President Biden presented at the end of last month.
A senior Biden administration official told NBC News overnight that Israel's operation which rescued four hostages on Saturday is likely to complicate the Secretary of State's efforts to reach such a deal.
According to the official, the successful operation increased Prime Minister Netanyahu’s determination to continue pursuing military operations, rather than agreeing to a cease-fire, while also hardening the Hamas leadership's stance as well.
The official noted that while the release of the four Israeli hostages is welcome news, it is not going to change the status quo because there is still a significant number of hostages remaining, including five Americans believed to be alive.
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