US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Tel Aviv on a Middle East tour aimed at intensifying diplomatic pressure to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza this week to end the bloodshed there, Reuters reports.

On his 10th trip to the region since the conflict began in October, Blinken will meet on Monday with senior Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior State Department official said.

After Israel, Blinken will continue onto Egypt.

The talks to strike a deal for a truce and return of hostages held in Gaza were now at an “inflection point”, a senior Biden administration official told reporters en route to Tel Aviv, adding Blinken was going to stress to all parties the importance of getting this deal over the finish line.

“We think this is a critical time,” the official said.