U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his concerns about unexpected escalations that could jeopardize efforts to facilitate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Blinken, who was in Egypt for discussions on the Gaza cease-fire negotiations and U.S.-Egyptian relations, mentioned that the U.S. is still investigating the recent deadly explosions involving personal pagers in Lebanon that have been linked to Israel.

The United States, in collaboration with international partners like Egypt, is actively engaged in brokering a cease-fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. There are rising tensions as Israeli leaders contemplate increasing military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Blinken expressed frustration that progress in reaching a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas is often hindered by unexpected events that complicate or even derail the negotiations. The recent explosions in Lebanon added to this challenge.

The explosive attacks involving personal pagers, used by members of the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, resulted in the death of at least 12 individuals, including a child. Israel has not officially commented on its potential involvement in the attacks.

Blinken also cited the killing of six hostages by Hamas earlier this month, which disrupted progress that negotiators had made towards a potential swap deal. This deal would have involved the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.

The Secretary of State emphasized that the U.S. is still in the process of gathering information about the incidents involving the pager explosions and refrained from providing detailed comments on the matter. After meeting with Egyptian leaders, Blinken stressed the importance of both sides demonstrating a genuine willingness to reach a deal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced accusations of stalling the negotiations as a potential agreement could lead to the collapse of his staunchly conservative coalition government, whose members oppose any deals with Palestinians. This marked Blinken’s 10th visit to the Middle East since the Gaza conflict began, with the aim of consulting with Egypt on refining the terms of a final proposal to present to Israel and Hamas.