White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend amid rising international tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, the administration confirmed Friday.
Sullivan will meet in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday to talk about the war in Gaza and efforts to achieve peace in the region, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told reporters .
Sullivan will travel on Sunday to meet with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss the war and “ongoing negotiations” to free hostages, as well as efforts to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The announcement of Sullivan’s trip comes as Biden faces widespread frustration with the administration’s handling of the war in Gaza — both within his own party and across the aisle. The House on Thursday approved a bill to reverse Biden’s pause on some weapons shipments to Israel, in a disregard for the president’s approach.
Sullivan postponed a planned trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this year due to a broken rib. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken he knew with the crown prince in March, where he “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to achieving a lasting end to the crisis in Gaza and to the establishment of a future Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.”
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