US Middle East envoy McGurk en route to region - White House

Brett McGurk, U.S. President Joe Biden's top adviser on the Middle East, is heading to the region for talks with officials in Israel, the West Bank, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations, the White House said on Tuesday.

"In Israel, he will discuss Israel's security needs, the imperative of protecting civilians in the course of military operations, as well as ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages, and the need to rein in violent extremist settlers in the West Bank," it said in a statement.