U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to a bridging proposal presented by Washington to address the disagreements that are impeding a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. He additionally urged Hamas to make the same decision.
After an all-day series of meetings with Netanyahu and Israeli officials, Blinken spoke to journalists. Previously, he had stated that this initiative was likely the most advantageous and potentially the final opportunity to negotiate a deal.
Last week’s Qatar ceasefire and hostage return talks stalled, but the U.S. proposal to bridge Israel and Hamas’ gaps was expected to restart this week.
There appears to be little sign of reconciliation on the ground as the Palestinian Islamist group announced the return of suicide bombings inside Israel after a long hiatus and claimed responsibility for an explosion in Tel Aviv on Sunday night. On Monday, medics reported that Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip.
Negotiators have been returning to the same points for months: Israel wants to destroy Hamas as a political and military force in order to end the war, and Hamas insists that a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary one, is acceptable.
A number of issues have been raised, including the number and identity of prisoners to be freed in a swap, the freedom of movement of Palestinians within the territory, and the ongoing military presence of Israel in Gaza, especially along the border with Egypt.
According to Hamas officials, Washington has sided with Israel.
