U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be making a marathon trip to the Middle East -- his fourth visit to the region since the Oct. 7 attack, the State Department announced Thursday.

The trip, running from Jan. 4 to 11, will technically be his fifth visit to Israel since the war began; he stopped there twice on his trip in October.

"Throughout his trip, the Secretary will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza; securing the release of all remaining hostages; our shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the resumption of essential services; and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced from Gaza," State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller said in a statement.

The last part of the agenda Miller lays out -- "ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced from Gaza" -- runs counter to the rhetoric put forth in recent days by Israeli Minister of National Security Ben Gvir and other far-right politicians, comments the Biden administration have already denounced.

"We don't expect every conversation on this trip to be easy. There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead," Miller said in a briefing Thursday afternoon, adding that the U.S. intends to "tackle them head on."

As of now, Blinken is scheduled to spend time in eight countries: Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt. He will also be stopping in the West Bank.

"The secretary believes we need to try to make progress on getting humanitarian access in," Miller said. "The secretary believes we need to make progress on minimizing harm to Palestinian civilians. He believes we need to make progress on continuing to try to keep the conflict from escalating, which is why he is returning to the region."

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

The leader of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebel group has called for mass protests to take place on Friday against Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

"Let the dear Yemeni people make their voice and word heard to the whole world, in their steadfastness in their faith, moral and humanitarian stance in supporting the oppressed Palestinian people, against whom the Jewish Zionists are committing crimes of genocide, completely destroying their cities and homes in Gaza, and are creative in practicing the most heinous crimes against them, such as burying the living and crushing them," Houthi leader Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi said in a statement on Thursday.

Houthi rebels, who have been at war with Yemen's internationally recognized government since 2014 and currently control a large part of the country, have carried out attacks on ships in the Red Sea in recent weeks in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza, a territory ruled by Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky and Morgan Winsor

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Thursday that diplomatic solutions with Hezbollah are running out.

Gallant made the remark at the Israeli Ministry of Defense heaquarters in Tel Aviv during a meeting with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden. The two discussed the situation in northern Israel and along the border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been exchanging fire with Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group has voiced support for Palestinians amid Israel"s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

"There is only one possible result -- a new reality in the northern arena, which will enable the secure return of our citizens," Gallant said. "Yet we find ourselves at a junction -- there is a short window of time for diplomatic understandings, which we prefer. We will not tolerate the threats posed by the Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, and we will ensure the security of our citizens."

-ABC News' Will Gretsky and Morgan Winsor

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday morning that one of its fighter jets struck an "observation post and terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

An "anti-tank missile terrorist cell in the same area" was also identified and struck, according to the IDF.

The IDF said its soldiers fired mortar shells overnight "in order to remove a threat" in another area of southern Lebanon, which shares a border with Israel.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli strikes.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor

While taking questions on the tarmac in Greece before heading to Jordan in his latest round of Middle East shuttle diplomacy, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wouldn't reveal diplomatic conversations on the latest flareup in northern Israel, where Hezbollah missiles struck early Saturday, but said the U.S. is "actively working" on the issue.

"One of the areas of real concern is the border between Israel and Lebanon," he said, pointing to the "tens of thousands forced from their homes in northern Israel."

"We are looking at ways diplomatically to try to defuse that challenge, that tension, so that people can return to their homes, that they can live in peace and security," Blinken said.

Blinken said the broad priorities of his trip include "preventing this conflict from spreading," to "maximize the protection for civilians, maximize humanitarian assistance, getting it to them, and also to get hostages out of Gaza," and paving the way for a postwar, "Palestinian-led" Gaza.

He also praised U.S.-Greek cooperation, pointing to the Greeks' help in Operation Prosperity Guardian to keep the Red Sea safe amid increasing Houthi attacks on commercial vessels.

"I can't think of a time when the partnership, the friendship between our countries has been stronger," he said.

-ABC News' Chris Boccia