US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Israel, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Blinken spoke to reporters on Wednesday before his departure at an airport near Washington.

The meeting will likely focus on the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to ensure safe passage for civilians out of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and to allow the delivery of necessary supplies.

Blinken told reporters that the US government is in talks with Israel and Egypt on the issue.

He said, "We want to make sure to the best of our ability, and I know Israel wants to make sure to the best of its ability that civilians are not harmed."

Also on Wednesday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, "The civilians are not to blame for what Hamas has done."

He said the US wants to see a safe passage corridor created, and believes it is important to sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

With Israel considering a possible ground invasion of Gaza, minimizing civilian casualties would be a focus of Blinken's visit.