Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 8, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Blinken to meet Gantz, Eisenkot, Lapid and hostages’ families on 2nd day of Israel visit
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Minister Benny Gantz in Tel Aviv on November 3, 2023. (State Department)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will kick off the second day of his seventh wartime visit to Israel with a 9 a.m. meeting with war cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot.
An hour later, he will sit down with Opposition chair Yair Lapid, the State Department says.
Biden administration officials have worked to maintain close ties with Gantz and Lapid, as they’ve increasingly buttheads with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the premier’s handling of the war.
At 11:45 a.m., he will hold a meet and greet with US diplomats stationed in Israel.
Blinken said yesterday that he would also be meeting on Thursday with the families of some of the hostages being held in Gaza.
