US setting up ‘safe areas’ in Gaza with aid agencies

The US is working with aid agencies on setting up ‘safe areas’ for civilians in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a seven-country Middle East tour – taking in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia today alone – as he tries to stop the conflict between Israel and Hamas spiralling into a bigger war.

It already threatens to pull in Lebanon after Israel shelled a Lebanese army observation post at the border. The Reuters news agency says one of its journalists was killed.