Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to accept the US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages after a “very constructive” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He had earlier said that the latest attempt at a deal was probably the best and possibly the last chance, and he had urged both sides to move towards a settlement.
Talks in Qatar stalled last week without a breakthrough, but negotiations are expected to resume this week based on a US proposal to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas.
However, there is little sign of agreement on the ground after a Palestinian Islamist group announced it would resume suicide bombings inside Israel after several years, and medics said Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
“In a very constructive meeting today with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridge-building proposal — and that he supports it,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.
“Now the onus is on Hamas to do the same, and then the two sides must come together with the help of the mediators — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — and complete the process of reaching a clear understanding about how they will implement the commitments they made under this agreement.”
Despite US expressions of optimism and Netanyahu’s office describing the meeting as positive, both Israel and Hamas have indicated that any agreement will be difficult.
Hamas on Sunday accused Netanyahu of “sabotaging the efforts of mediators” and Turkey said Hamas emissaries had told it that US officials were “painting an overly optimistic picture.”
Months of negotiations have centered on a single issue, with Israel saying the war can only end with Hamas being destroyed as a military and political force, while Hamas says it will only accept a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary one.
There are disagreements inside Gaza, particularly over Israel’s continued military presence along the Egyptian border, the free movement of Palestinians within the territory, and the identity and number of prisoners to be released in exchange.
The current war in Gaza began on October 7 last year, when Hamas gunmen crossed the border and infiltrated Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s military campaign has leveled large parts of Gaza, forcing some 2.3 million people from their homes, leading to deadly hunger and disease and killing at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
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