US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke after holding a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday which lasted over two hours.
Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says. Hamas had earlier rejected the proposal, accusing the US of siding with Israel and its new demands, however, Mr Blinken urged the group to accept it without confirming specifics of the deal.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
Mr Hamdan told Reuters that Hamas has already confirmed to mediators that "we don't need new Gaza ceasefire negotiations, we need to agree on an implementation mechanism".The high-stakes negotiations have gained urgency in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel.
He said there are still "complex issues" requiring "hard decisions by the leaders," without offering specifics. Months of on-off talks have circled the same issues, with Israel saying the war can only end with the destruction of Hamas as a military and political force and Hamas saying it will only accept a permanent, and not a temporary, ceasefire.
"We know that only with vast help of the American administration a deal will come," said Yehuda Cohen, whose 20-year-old son, Nimrod, is being held hostage in Gaza."We are here to say it out loud: Blinken, Antony Blinken, please push Netanyahu for a deal at any price because I want my son to be free."
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