US Confirms Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Has Accepted Gaza Ceasefire Proposal, Urges Hamas To Do Same
Blinken urged Hamas to also agree to the proposal, which could pave the way for an end to the ongoing hostilities.
The United States’ Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Monday announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a “bridging proposal” from Washington aimed at resolving disagreements that have hindered the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Blinken urged Hamas to also agree to the proposal, which could pave the way for an end to the ongoing hostilities.
Speaking to journalists after a day of intensive meetings with Israeli officials, including a 2.5-hour discussion with Netanyahu, Blinken emphasized the critical nature of this initiative.
He described it as potentially the last and best opportunity to secure a ceasefire, highlighting the urgency for both sides to commit to de-escalation.
Reuters reports that last week’s talks in Qatar, aimed at reaching a ceasefire and securing the return of hostages, ended without a breakthrough but are expected to resume this week.
The U.S. has proposed a plan to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit comes as U.S. President Joe Biden faces growing election-year pressure over his stance on the conflict.
As the Democratic Party prepares to start its national convention on Monday, pro-Palestinian protests and concerns about Muslim and Arab American voters in swing states are intensifying.
However, the situation on the ground remains tense. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has resumed suicide bombings in Israel after many years, claiming responsibility for a blast in Tel Aviv on Sunday night.
Israeli military strikes have killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Monday, raising fears of a wider war.
“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal—that he supports it,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.
“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same, and then the parties, with the help of mediators—the United States, Egypt, and Qatar—must come together and finalize the process of reaching clear understandings about implementing the commitments made under this agreement.”
Despite expressions of optimism from the U.S. and Netanyahu’s office describing the meeting as positive, both Israel and Hamas have indicated that any deal will be challenging to achieve.
Months of on-and-off negotiations have circled around the same issues, with Israel insisting that the war can only end with the destruction of Hamas as a military and political force, while Hamas demands a permanent, not temporary, ceasefire.
Disagreements persist over Israel’s continued military presence in Gaza, especially along the border with Egypt, the free movement of Palestinians within the territory, and the identity and number of prisoners to be freed in a swap.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan accused Washington of favoring Israel, told Reuters, “When Blinken says that the Israelis agreed and then the Israelis say that there is an updated proposal, this means that the Americans are subject to Israeli pressure and not the other way around. We believe it is a maneuver to give the Israelis more time.”
The current war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
Since then, Israel’s military has devastated large parts of the Palestinian enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents, causing deadly hunger and disease, and killing at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
