Air raid sirens echoed across Tel Aviv as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to end his visit to the region.

Smoke, apparently from an intercepted projectile, could be seen in the sky above the hotel where Mr Blinken was staying.

The top US diplomat said Israel needs to pursue an “enduring strategic success” after its recent tactical victories against Hamas.

Smoke in the sky as a missile is intercepted in Tel Aviv
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted a projectile (Pool via AP)

Mr Blinken urged Israel to seek a deal to end the war and bring back dozens of hostages before he left for Saudi Arabia, as part of his 11th visit to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

But both sides appear to be dug in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to annihilate Hamas and recover dozens of hostages held by the group.

Hamas says it will only release the captives in return for a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

On October 7 2023, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed in, killing some 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and abducting another 250. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not differentiate between militants and civilians.

The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its population of 2.3 million people.

A street utterly destroyed in Gaza
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, with many more displaced (AP)

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in a report that it could take 350 years for Gaza’s battered economy to return to its precarious pre-war level.

The United States hopes to revive ceasefire efforts after the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in n Israeli military operation in Gaza last week.

But there is no indication that either of the warring parties have modified their demands since the talks stalled over the summer. Hamas has said its demands have not changed following Mr Sinwar’s death.

Mr Blinken, who met with Mr Netanyahu and other top officials on Tuesday, said he had pressed Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and reiterated his warning that the failure to do so could lead to a reduction in US military aid.

“There’s progress made, which is good, but more progress needs to be made,” he said.