US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel this weekend to push for a Gaza ceasefire deal, as the United States seeks to bridge gaps in negotiations in the region, the State Department said.
A State Department statement said Blinken will depart on Saturday and will try to “conclude an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages and detainees through a bridging proposal” presented by the United States during talks in Doha on Friday.
President Joe Biden said Friday that “we are closer than ever” to a ceasefire in the 10-month-old Gaza war after two days of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha.
“We’re not there yet. It’s a lot closer than it was three days ago. So keep your fingers crossed,” Biden said.
National Security Council spokesman Sean Servet said Biden spoke by telephone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to discuss “significant progress” in the talks.
Biden and two major Arab leaders have publicly urged Hamas and Israel to engage in talks.
The White House said diplomats would continue working on details with the hope of finalizing the deal in Cairo next week.
“This is kind of the final step — the final step in the process,” a senior U.S. official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
He said diplomats were setting up an “implementation cell” so the agreement “can be put into action swiftly once it is in place.”
The State Department statement said the resolution would “bring a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages, ensure that humanitarian aid can be delivered throughout Gaza, and create the conditions for broader regional stability.”
“Secretary Blinken will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalating tensions or taking other actions that could undermine the ability to finalize an agreement,” it said.
This will be Blinken’s ninth visit to the Middle East since Hamas carried out its deadliest attack on Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to launch a sustained military operation in Gaza.
The State Department did not immediately announce any stops after Israel. Blinken has met key Arab allies on previous trips.
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