Israel agrees to latest Gaza ceasefire proposal

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Israel agrees to latest Gaza ceasefire proposal

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcement while in Israel to get a ceasefire and the release of the hostages across the finish line.

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Blinken made an urgent effort to reach a deal quickly at a press conference in Israel after meeting with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

After Israel announced that it had accepted a bridging proposal offered through high-stakes negotiations in Doha Last week, Blinken said it is “now Hamas’ responsibility to do the same.”

“The next important step is for Hamas to say ‘yes,’” he said, “and for all expert negotiators to meet in the coming days to work on clear agreements on the implementation of the agreement.”

Hamas has issued statements on pro-Iranian Telegram channels saying that Israel withdrawn of previous proposals and that the demands for a withdrawal from Gaza have not been met.

After the meeting with Blinken, Netanyahu praised in a video address “the understanding the United States has shown for our vital security interests as part of our joint efforts to secure the release of our hostages.”

The US has spent weeks trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal that Washington says is as close to completion as it has ever been. The next round of talks is scheduled for this week in Cairo.

However, some sticking points remain, including the details of an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza-Egypt border and the movement of armed Palestinians to the north of the Strip.

The deal includes three phasesstarting with an initial exchange of hostages and prisoners and a temporary ceasefire, then a permanent ceasefire for the return of all hostages, and a final phase for the transfer of remains and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Blinken, who is next to Egypt And Qatar, said earlier in the day that this may be the “last” chance to close a deal.

He made it clear that the US was not giving up, but that more hostages could die or tensions could escalate quickly. He made these comments as Iran threatens to retaliate against Israel for the death of the Hamas supreme leader in Tehran last month.

“The longer this goes on,” Blinken added, “the more hostages will suffer, potentially die, and the more other things will happen that could make anything impossible.”

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