CIA Director William Burns has arrived in Tel Aviv. He is expected to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and his counterparts on both sides, Axios reported, citing a source.
Burns' visit was planned in advance, but it comes amid the most significant escalation of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in months. Burns' visit and meetings will likely be influenced by events on the ground.
Tensions in the region escalated Thursday after the Israeli military killed nine Palestinians, including an elderly woman, during a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. At least 20 Palestinians were wounded, including unarmed civilians. The Israeli military said it received intelligence before the raid about a group of Islamic Jihad fighters whom it suspected of carrying out armed attacks against Israeli soldiers. According to the Israeli military, the group was planning more attacks. Shortly after the raid, Palestine suspended security coordination with Israel, raising fears that the situation in the West Bank could further escalate.
On the night of Thursday to Friday, Islamic Jihad in Gaza fired several rockets into Israel. Most of them were intercepted by Israel's Iron Done defense system. The Israeli Air Force responded with an airstrike on Gaza.
The last time the Palestinian Authority suspended its security coordination with Israel was in May 2020 following the Israeli government's plan to annex large parts of the West Bank.
The CIA has a close relationship with the Palestinian intelligence service and remained the only channel of communication between the U.S. and the Palestinian Authority when the latter severed relations with the Trump administration.
The CIA also plays a key role in supporting security and intelligence coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Burns' visit is part of a broader trip to the Middle East. He visited Egypt on Monday, meeting with President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and discussing regional issues, counterterrorism and intelligence cooperation.
The CIA declined to comment on Byrne's visit to Israel and the West Bank.
