Blinken says Israel has accepted bridging proposal for a cease-fire, calls on Hamas to do the same

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether concerns cited by the militant group had been addressed.

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.

The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war.

Blinken spoke after holding a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal,” Blinken told reporters, without saying what the proposal entails. “The next important step is for Hamas to say ‘yes.’”

He added, however, that even if Hamas accepts the proposal, negotiators will spend the coming days working on “clear understandings on implementing the agreement.” He said there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders,” without offering specifics.

Hamas has said it is losing faith in the U.S. as a mediator, accusing American negotiators of siding with Israel as it makes new demands that the militant group rejects.

Blinken did not say whether the proposal addressed Israel's demand for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza — which Hamas has said is a nonstarter — or other issues that have long bedeviled the negotiations.

Netanyahu said that he had a “good and important meeting” with Blinken and appreciated the “understanding that the United States has shown to our vital security interests, along with our shared efforts to release our hostages.” He added that efforts are being made to release the maximum number of hostages in the first stage of a the cease-fire deal.

Mediators will meet again this week to try to cement a cease-fire. Blinken will travel Tuesday to Egypt and Qatar, where Hamas maintains a political office.

The war began on Oct. 7 when thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 others. Of those, about 110 are still believed to be in Gaza, though Israeli authorities say around a third are dead. More than 100 hostages were released in November during a weeklong cease-fire.

[JJ-yoif]

🤔 I thought you & Biden said that the May 31st ceasefire proposal was an’ Israeli proposal’ which Hamas by the way accepted in June subject to 2 things, Israel’s troop withdrawn from Gaza & a permanent ceasefire between stage 2 & 3 of said proposal. Not insurmountable issues.
But here we are 3 months later & in reality we find out that it’s Israel & Benjamin Netanyahu that have been the hold outs on something you said was theirs. So you & Biden flat out lied & the ceasefire proposal now requires some sort of extra ‘ bridging’ to get the Israeli’s to accept ‘ their own deal’ honest you can’t make this crap up.
So if you’d strong armed Israel 3 months ago to accept BIDEN’s deal the hostages would be home already (one’s Israel hasn’t killed its self by dropping US bombs on)& about 15, 000 Palestinians mostly women & children would still be alive.
Now because of yours & Biden’s lack of backbone in bringing Israel round US armed forces are now going to be in harms way about to defend a rogue country which if you examine world press 90% believe has gone to far & is guilty of ethnic cleansing & genocide leaving our great nation’s reputation in the gutter.

[abdinoradangaraar]

The United States cannot be neutral in the issue of Palestine and Israel
A man who is part of the war does not have to mediate, economically, militarily and politically, the United States has contributed to the massacre in Gaza.
A clean hand makes things clean😅😂
The question is who reconciles the United States and the Palestinian people?

[Fray]

Wow that was quick. Its almost as if there is no substantive difference between the US bringing proposal and what the Israelis were asking for in the first place.

[FirstLast.....]

Blinken always looks like he was bitten by a zombie and is on the verge of turning.

[billybunter]

can one really trust natinyaho he seems to let people down every single time hamas have said they are willing to sit down to talk then natinyaho starts bombing every one the man need mental health help.