US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured him that Israel has accepted President Joe Biden’s proposal on the Gaza deal, noting that the ball is now in Hamas’ court to agree to the proposal.
Blinken added during a press conference in Tel Aviv that the important step is for Hamas to say “yes” to the deal, pointing out that there are still complex issues in the Gaza deal that require tough decisions.
Blinken also highlighted the significant role Egypt and Qatar play in reaching an agreement on Gaza.
The US Secretary of State emphasized that reaching an agreement on Gaza is the best way to end the suffering and reduce escalation, noting that every passing day poses a risk to the detainees, hence the urgent need for an agreement.
Blinken reported that Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire according to Biden’s proposal, explaining that the ceasefire process in Gaza would be in phases coinciding with a prisoner exchange.
The American official stressed the need for Hamas’ approval to bridge the gaps in the agreement, noting that experts are working on this.
During the press conference, Blinken announced a visit to Egypt and Qatar to continue efforts to reach an agreement on Gaza. He said Netanyahu had committed to sending an expert team to Doha or Egypt to bridge the gaps in the agreement, expressing his concern about the emergence of polio in Gaza.
The spokesperson mentioned that US President Joe Biden proposed a detailed ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which was endorsed by the Security Council, noting that the ceasefire allows for sending aid to Gaza.
He confirmed that the ceasefire in Gaza is the only and best way to bring back the detainees, and that US diplomacy focuses on preventing the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
In the same context, Blinken warned Iran against any action that would lead to escalation in the region.
Netanyahu: I aim to release “the largest number” of living hostages
From his side, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he is seeking to release “the largest number” of living hostages held in Gaza in the first phase of any agreement reached to stop the firing with Hamas.
He said in a recorded video published by his office after his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “I want to emphasize the efforts aimed at releasing the largest number of living hostages in the first phase of the agreement.”
Before that, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which lasted 3 hours, as positive.
The office of Netanyahu stated in a statement that he informed Blinken of Israel’s commitment to the latest American proposal regarding the release of the detainees and the firm insistence on meeting Israel’s security needs.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday that the ongoing negotiations regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are “perhaps the last chance” to reach a ceasefire in the war that has been ongoing for more than ten months between Israel and the Hamas movement.
Blinken said, “It is a critical moment, probably the best and perhaps the last chance to bring the hostages back home and reach a ceasefire and put everyone on a better path to lasting peace and security,” speaking during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on his ninth visit to the region since the war broke out on October 7th.
According to the Secretary of State, this is a “risky moment” in Israel, warning of any moves that could increase regional tensions following Iran and Hezbollah’s threat of revenge for the assassination of Hamas’s political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah’s operations chief in southern Lebanon, Fouad Shukr, in a suburb of Beirut.
On his part, Herzog said that the Israelis want the return of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip since October 7th “as soon as possible.”
According to the “Times of Israel” newspaper, Netanyahu informed Blinken that he would send a delegation of negotiators to Cairo this week to continue consultations to move towards an agreement on the Gaza Strip.
According to the newspaper, the delegation, headed by the director of “Mossad” David Barnea, will also include the head of the General Security Service Ronen Bar, and the coordinator of the prisoner exchange operation, Major General (Res.) Nitzan Alon.
The newspaper indicated that the three participated in negotiations regarding the Gaza deal late last week in Qatar.
US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip “is still possible.”
Biden said to the press after spending the weekend at Camp David that the talks are still ongoing and “we will not give up.”
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on keeping Israel at the Philadelphia axis on the border between Gaza and Egypt, despite Israeli negotiators’ views that this request prevents any possibility of an agreement.
Netanyahu’s announcement came in a statement shortly after Blinken’s arrival in Israel for their meeting, today, Monday. His office said in a statement: “There are people who persist in publishing leaks that weaken the ability to reach a deal.”
Israeli media reported on Sunday that a delegation comprising representatives from the Israeli government, the army, and the Shin Bet headed to Cairo.
It is scheduled that talks mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar will resume this week in Cairo after meetings held on Thursday and Friday in Doha in an attempt to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
After two days of talks in Doha this week, which Hamas did not attend, the mediation countries, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, announced a new proposal that “narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in the ongoing war for more than ten months, and the release of Israeli prisoners.
