US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has headed back to the Middle East Thursday on his fourth trip since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, expecting tough talks as he presses for immediate new aid for battered Gaza and regional de-escalation.

According to AFP, the top American diplomat will visit both Israel and the West Bank, home of the Palestinian Authority, and five Arab countries — Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — the State Department said.

Blinken departed on late Thursday bound first for Turkiye — an uneasy US ally that is the home of key Hamas leaders despite being one of the few Muslim-majority countries to recognise Israel — followed by Greece. He will discuss “immediate measures to increase substantially humanitarian assistance to Gaza”.

“We don’t expect every conversation on this trip to be easy. There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

“But the secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head on,” he said.