By Robert Harvey LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices gained on Friday, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to visit the Middle East to try and prevent the Israel-Gaza conflict from widening. Brent crude futures were up 44 cents, or 0.57%, to $78.03 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 57 cents, or 0.79%, to $72.76 at 1032 GMT. At its intra-day peak, the WTI futures contract traded more than $1 above previous close. Both benchmarks are on track to end the first week of the year higher, having almost recouped their losses from Thursday after hefty U.S. gasoline…