Blinken says Israel accepts US-backed ceasefire proposal, calls on Hamas to do the same

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal aimed at overcoming differences blocking a cease-fire and the release of hostages 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 taken on added urgency in recent days as diplomats hope a deal will deter Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two prominent militants blamed on Israel. Escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war.

Blinken spoke after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for two and a half hours earlier in the day and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further talks. The three mediators have been trying for months to end the war in Gaza, but negotiations have repeatedly failed.

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

READ MORE: This may be the last chance for a ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war, Blinken warns

He added, however, that even if Hamas accepted the proposal, negotiators would spend the coming days working on clear understandings for implementing the deal. He added that there remained complex issues that required difficult decisions by the leadership, without giving details.

Hamas has said it is losing confidence in the United States 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 addresses Israel’s demand for control of two strategic corridors inside Gaza, which Hamas has said has failed, or other issues that have long dogged negotiations.

Mr. Netanyahu said he had a fruitful and important meeting with Mr. Blinken and appreciated the understanding the United States has shown for our vital security interests, as well as our joint efforts to free our hostages. He added that efforts are underway to free as many hostages as possible in the first stage of the ceasefire agreement.

Blinken’s ninth mission to the Middle East since the conflict began comes days after mediators, including the United States, expressed renewed optimism that a deal was close. But Hamas has expressed deep displeasure with the latest proposal, and Israel has said there are points on which it is unwilling to compromise.

Earlier Monday, Blinken said this was a defining moment, and perhaps the last opportunity to free the hostages and secure a cease-fire.

It is also time to ensure that no one takes any action that could derail this process, he said, referring to Iran. So we are working to ensure that there is no escalation, no provocations, no actions that would prevent us from reaching this agreement or that could escalate the conflict.

The mediators will meet again this week to try to solidify a cease-fire. Blinken will travel on Tuesday to Egypt and Qatar, where Hamas has a political office.

The war began on October 7, when thousands of Hamas militants stormed Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. Of these, about 110 are believed to still be in Gaza, although Israeli authorities say about a third of them are dead. More than 100 hostages were released in November during a weeklong ceasefire.

Dozens of Israelis demonstrated outside the Tel Aviv hotel where Blinken was staying, holding up photos of the hostages and demanding an immediate ceasefire.

“We know that only massive help from the American administration will bring about an agreement,” said Yehuda Cohen, whose 20-year-old son, Nimrod, is being held hostage in Gaza. “We are here to say it loud and clear: Blinken, Antony Blinken, please put pressure on Netanyahu to reach an agreement at any cost, because I want my son to be free.”

READ MORE: Mediators prepare to implement Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal ahead of final agreement, US official says

The Israeli counterattack in Gaza has left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead, according to local health officials, and devastated much of the territory. The war has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into a humanitarian catastrophe, with aid groups now fearing a polio outbreak.

Blinken said the United States shares those concerns and is working on a plan with Israel to ensure vaccines are available in the coming weeks, saying it is urgent and vital.

Last week, the three countries mediating the proposed ceasefire, Egypt, Qatar and the United States, announced progress on an agreement under which Israel would cease most military operations in Gaza and release a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of hostages.

The proposal calls for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all hostages taken in its October 7 attack. In exchange, Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas accuses Israel of adding new demands, including maintaining a military presence along the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent weapons smuggling and along a line cutting through the territory so it can search Palestinians returning to their homes in the north to prevent militants from sneaking in. Israel has said these are not new demands but clarifications of an earlier proposal.

Hamas said in a statement late Sunday that Netanyahu continued to block a deal by demanding new conditions, accusing him of trying to prolong the war. It said the mediators' latest offer was a capitulation to Israel.

The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions, Hamas said.

Samy Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.

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