US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv late Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted an American “bridging proposal” on a Gaza cease-fire deal, and that it was up to Hamas to agree.
“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same,” and then with the help of mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to “come together and complete the process,” Blinken told reporters, without saying whether concerns cited by the Hamas militant group had been addressed.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced the bodies of six hostages had been recovered from Gaza.
Blinken’s ninth visit to the Middle East since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 came as the US, Egypt and Qatar sought to finalize a cease-fire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas.
After leaving Israel, Blinken headed to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations.
The US put forward a bridging proposal during last week’s cease-fire talks in Doha. Discussions are set to resume in Cairo this week. Blinken said even if Hamas accepts the deal, there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders.” He didn’t offer specifics.
“We’re never giving up,” said Blinken, when asked if time to take the deal could ultimately run out. He held a one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu for 2½ hours.
An Israeli government spokesperson told reporters on Monday that Netanyahu “stands firmly by the principle” that the Israel Defense Forces will maintain a physical presence in the Philadelphi Corridor — the border between Gaza Strip and Egypt — to prevent what they describe as the resupply of Hamas’ deadly weapons.
There is an increased urgency to reach a deal amid fears of broader regional escalation if Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, retaliate against Israel for the assassination of a top Hezbollah operative in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
