In response to an inquiry, the Prime Minister's Office stated: "The meeting will take place as usual, as part of the meeting with the prime minister." No response was received from the State Department.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel as he attempts to seal a truce in the four-month-old Gaza war.
Blinken, who had flown from Saudi Arabia to Egypt and then Qatar on Tuesday in what is his fifth crisis tour of the Middle East, landed in Israel late in the evening, against the backdrop of American efforts to seal another hostage deal and a ceasefire and pave the way for a normalization process that includes recognition of a Palestinian state.
The US has made an unusual request ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Israel this week.
According to sources, the request was that the US top diplomat receive a separate briefing with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi without Israeli cabinet ministers present. However, the Prime Minister's office rebuffed that idea, and Blinken will receive the security briefing, which would remain the same as previous visits, presumably as part of a larger meeting with the War Cabinet.
Source: Israel Hayom, TPS
After his visit to Egypt, Blinken was expected to land in Qatar, and from there he is supposed to arrive in Israel towards the end of the week.