A burnt vehicle is seen after violent confrontations in the city of Lod, Israel between Israeli Arab demonstrators and police, amid high tensions over hostilities between Israel and Gaza militants and tensions in Jerusalem May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24News – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that a US envoy would travel to the Middle East to seek to calm tensions amid a deadly escalation between Israel and Palestinian terror groups based in the Gaza Strip.

Hady Amr, the deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of Israeli and Palestinian affairs, will travel “immediately” and meet both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Blinken said.

“He will urge on my behalf and on behalf of President Biden a de-escalation of violence,” Blinken told reporters.

Calling on Israel to try to minimize civilian casualties, Blinken said that there was, however, a “very clear and absolute distinction between a terrorist organization, Hamas, that is indiscriminately raining down rockets — in fact, targeting civilians — and Israel’s response defending itself.”

Palestinian militants have launched more than 1,200 rockets, killing several Israeli civilians in some of the deadliest conflagration of violence in seven years.