CAIRO/JEDDAH — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, launching a tour of the Middle East to try to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war as increasing strain showed in Washington's relationship with its ally Israel.In Gaza, where hopes were dashed for a ceasefire in the nearly six-month-old war in time for Ramadan last week, residents of Gaza City in the north described the most intense fighting for months around the Al-Shifa hospital.
Last week, Chuck Schumer, leader of Biden's Democratic Party in the Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish US elected official, called for Israeli voters to replace Netanyahu. Biden called it a "good speech"; Netanyahu called it "inappropriate."Netanyahu is increasingly aligning with Biden's domestic political opponents in a US presidential election year.