United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the Middle East this week, the US State Department said on Tuesday, as Washington pushes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to allow the release of hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group, Reuters reports.

Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt and will meet with senior leaders in both countries, the State Department said.

Providing more humanitarian aid into Gaza as well as discussing post-war planning for the enclave will be among the topics he will discuss with Saudi and Egyptian official.

Blinken is currently in Asia, where he attended a democracy summit in South Korea and was due to meet the foreign minister and president of the Philippines on Tuesday.