Barbara Leaf, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, will visit Israel among other countries on a trip from July 8 to July 14, the U.S. State Department announced on Monday.
In her visits with government officials in the Jewish state, and Judea and Samaria, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Italy, Leaf will discuss “continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement, secure the release of all hostages and ensure humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout Gaza,” Foggy Bottom stated. “She will also have further discussions on the post-conflict period in a way that builds lasting peace and security.”
In January, Leaf visited Israel and Jordan, among other regional countries. From Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, she visited Israel, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. On Oct. 25, she left for a trip to the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan and Israel that lasted into early November.