United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to discuss the next phase of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, CNN reported, citing a White House official. The meeting lasted for four hours and among the discussed topics were plans for a post-war Gaza, steps required to "improve the humanitarian situation" and reduce harm inflicted upon civilians, as well as US concerns over securing the release of Hamas-held hostages. The discussions also touched on the topic of moving the conflict in a different direction, where the main focus of Israel would be the elimination of "high-value" Hamas targets.