Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital based in London.
The militant group Hezbollah unleashed a massive barrage of rockets into Israel on Wednesday to avenge the killing of a top commander, a significant escalation as the United States' push for a cease-fire in Gaza reached a critical moment and the United Nations accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes. Iran-backed Hezbollah’s volley of some 160 missiles is a significant flare-up on Israeli’s northern front with Lebanon, which many observers fear could escalate into full-blown regional war.
Conscious of this risk, Blinken has been in the Middle East all week, his eighth visit since the war began. On Wednesday he traveled to Qatar, a key mediator in talks. The U.S. has drafted a plan that aims to secure a truce and the release of the remaining hostages held in the Palestinian enclave. The U.N. Security Council endorsed the draft Monday, and Hamas, which is also backed by Iran, gave its awaited response Tuesday.
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