US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his ninth visit to the Middle East without a breakthrough for a Gaza ceasefire, yet he warned Tuesday that "time is of the essence" despite ongoing challenges between Hamas and Israel.
At the end of meetings in Egypt and Qatar, Blinken stated that Israel had agreed to a proposal that could close some gaps with Hamas. It became necessary to get Hamas on board and nail down implementation details, he added.
"Our message is simple. It's clear and it's urgent," Blinken told reporters in Qatar. "We need to get a ceasefire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now."
The sense of urgency has increased after the recent targeted killing of militant leaders in Iran and Lebanon, which were blamed on Israel and raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
Few details emerged of the bridging proposal made by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, with Blinken saying it is "very clear on the schedule and the locations of the withdrawals from Gaza," while Hamas said the U.S. rolled back previously agreed terms to accommodate new Israeli conditions.
The comments by Blinken were more pessimistic than those of Biden administration officials, who for weeks have expressed optimism.
Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, said that projecting optimism was necessary to keep momentum in negotiations but added that the final decision rested with two leaders Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar who from the beginning have expressed doubts about the prospects for peace.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives of Palestinians, entailing huge destruction and displacements. On Tuesday, an airstrike by Israel hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, killing at least 12 people.
Follow us
