US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Sunday in Egypt at the start of a Middle East trip on which he will look to notch down Israeli-Palestinian tensions after an eruption of violence.

 

Blinken will hold discuss the Israeli-Palestinian situation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, especially that Egypt plays a traditional role as a Middle East mediator for the Palestinians.

 

 

Blinken will travel Monday and Tuesday to Jerusalem and Ramallah after his stop in Cairo.

 

 

Blinken is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and call "broadly for steps to be taken to de-escalate tensions," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

 

 

In Egypt, Blinken is also expected to discuss regional issues such as Libya and Sudan, the State Department said.