WATCH LIVE: White House holds briefing as Blinken urges Israel to seek ceasefire

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that Israel must seek “lasting strategic success” in Gaza after its tactical victories against Hamas and urged it to seek a deal that ends the war and dozens brings back hostages.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is scheduled to hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Watch it in the player above.

He spoke before traveling from Israel to Saudi Arabia on his 11th visit to the region since the start of the war. Shortly before his departure, air raid sirens wailed in Tel Aviv as Israel intercepted two projectiles fired from Lebanon – the latest in Israel’s war with Hezbollah – and a cloud of smoke could be seen in the sky above Blinken’s hotel.

“Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives regarding Gaza,” Blinken told reporters before boarding his plane. “Now is the time to transform these successes into lasting strategic success.”

“There are really two things left to do: bring the hostages home and end the war with an understanding of what will follow,” he said.

Meanwhile, U.S., Israeli and Egyptian officials confirmed that a proposal for a limited ceasefire and the release of hostages had been discussed in recent days.