Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers the U.S. government, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. He can be reached on simonateba@todaynewsafrica.com U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Sunday spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to discuss the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Secretary Blinken reiterated his call on all parties to deescalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children.