Blinken Announces Netanyahu's Agreement to Ceasefire in Gaza; 'Cairo Negotiations This Week'

The U.S. Secretary of State says Israel has accepted a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages; meanwhile, the White House announced that negotiations in Cairo will take place this week. Karine Jean-Pierre, White House spokesperson, stated on Monday evening that ceasefire negotiations for Gaza and the release of hostages will be held 'before the end of the week' with the presence of senior officials in Cairo. She also mentioned that President Joe Biden is in talks with regional leaders to finalize the agreement. Just hours earlier, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, described his two-and-a-half-hour discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as 'constructive' and told reporters in Tel Aviv that Netanyahu supports the proposed agreement. He noted that it is now essential for Hamas to accept this agreement, and announced that after Egypt, he would also travel to Qatar as part of his Middle East trip. The U.S. Secretary of State reminded that these two Arab countries are 'vital partners in efforts to bring the ceasefire agreement to fruition and to return the hostages.' Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union, and Doha and Cairo act as mediators in negotiations between this group and Israel. Blinken stated that these negotiations 'may be the last opportunity' for the release of hostages. The senior U.S. diplomat referred to the new Washington initiative as a 'bridging proposal,' but did not clarify whether this proposal includes Israel's request for control over two vital crossings within Gaza. Hamas has rejected this Israeli demand. Nevertheless, Mr. Blinken believes that the parties can move forward based on the new proposal in the coming weeks. He emphasized that ending the Gaza war is a pathway to security and lasting peace in the region. He also announced that during his meeting with Netanyahu, he raised the issue of violence by Israeli settlers and urged Israel to take action against these acts of violence. The U.S. Secretary of State expressed concern over the emergence of polio in the Gaza Strip and reported that Washington is working with Israel on a vaccination program. On Monday afternoon, at the beginning of his meeting with the Israeli President, he described the ongoing negotiations as 'perhaps the last opportunity' to return Israeli hostages, stating: 'These are decisive moments in the talks for a deal.' On the other hand, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, after meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that he seeks to ensure that in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, 'the maximum' number of living hostages in Gaza are released. In a video message released by his office on Monday, he said: 'I emphasize: the effort to free as many living hostages as possible is part of the first phase of the agreement.' Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday evening for his tenth trip to the Middle East since the start of the Gaza war, working to finalize the ceasefire agreement following negotiations in Doha. However, on Sunday evening, Reuters and other international news agencies reported that the Hamas group rejected the new proposals presented in the ceasefire negotiations. This group considered the new proposals aligned with Israel's demands and claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu is obstructing the achievement of an agreement. In another development, Israel targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot deep inside Lebanon on Monday. A day after the extremist Hamas group's attack on Israel and the onset of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army began and continue.