The U.S. secretary of state, visiting Israel, said the killing of Hamas’s leader last week could create an opening for peace, and he pushed the Israeli prime minister to allow more aid into Gaza.

Israel continued its operations in Gaza and Lebanon after Hamas leader and Oct. 7, 2023 attack mastermind Yahya Sinwar was killed in a firefight.

New Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon added urgency to Secretary of State Antony Blinken's latest visit to the region. Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to redouble efforts to end the conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.