FILE – In this May 24, 2011 file photo, William Burns testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be Deputy Secretary of State. President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, he has chosen the veteran diplomat to be his CIA director. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
WASHINGTON — CIA Director William Burns is in the Middle East meeting with intelligence partners and leaders of several countries on matters including ones related to the war between Israel and Hamas, a U.S. official said Monday.
Topics include the fate of some 240 foreigners being held hostage by the Hamas militant group in Gaza, and the U.S. commitment to prevent state and nonstate actors from widening the Israel-Hamas war regionally, the U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Burns’ typically off-the-record travel plans.