Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders to discuss recovery efforts following the recent ceasefire agreement, the department said in a statement. The news comes after the announcement that Israel and the Hamas terrorist group had entered into a mutual ceasefire agreement to end an 11-day conflict that started when Hamas launched rockets into Israel over a court case to evict several Palestinian families in East Jerusalem that triggered riots. The State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday evening that Blinken received confirmation from his counterpart in Israel that the parties had agreed to a ceasefire. “Both leaders expressed their appreciation for Egypt’s mediation efforts, and the Secretary noted that he would continue to remain in close touch with his Egyptian counterpart and other regional stakeholders,” the statement said. Price also said that Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi welcomed the news of Blinken’s planned travel to the …