US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to reporters prior to boarding his aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on his way to the Middle East and Asia on November 2, 2023. Blinken is on his second crisis trip to the Middle East as he renews support for Israel but also seeks subtly to encourage the US ally to limit civilian deaths that have outraged much of the world. (Photo by JONATHAN ERNST / POOL / AFP)