WATCH LIVE: White House holds briefing as Blinken urges Israel to pursue cease-fire

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that Israel needs to pursue an “enduring strategic success” in Gaza after its tactical victories against Hamas, urging it to seek a deal that would end the war and bring back dozens of hostages.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is expected to hold a news briefing at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Watch in the player above.
He spoke before traveling from Israel to Saudi Arabia on his 11th visit to the region since the war began. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv shortly before his departure as Israel intercepted two projectiles fired from Lebanon — the latest in Israel’s war with Hezbollah — and a puff of smoke could be seen in the sky from Blinken’s hotel.
“Israel has achieved most of the strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza,” Blinken told reporters before boarding his plane. “Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success.”
“There really are two things left to do: Get the hostages home and bring the war to an end with an understanding of what will follow,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials with the U.S., Israel and Egypt confirmed that a proposal for a limited cease-fire and hostage release has been discussed in recent days.