US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived on a visit to the Middle East for negotiations on a cease-fire, his meetings with the leadership of Israel and other countries of the region are planned, informs Associated Press (AP).
An Israeli delegation is said to have left for Cairo on Sunday for further talks, and Blinken will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning. Also, the US Secretary of State will go to Egypt on Tuesday for meetings with officials, reports AP with reference to the US State Department. It is possible that he will stop in at least one more country in the region.
Earlier, the US and other mediators Egypt and Qatar said they were close to a ceasefire agreement, while US and Israeli officials expressed cautious optimism. However, Hamas made it clear that it was resisting what it called Israel’s new demands.
Specifically, the deal under discussion calls for a three-step process in which Hamas would release all hostages kidnapped during its October 7 attack. In return, Israel will withdraw its troops from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners.
Mediation efforts have gained new urgency after the killing of two militant leaders last month prompted promises of retaliation against Israel by Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. This raised fears of a full-scale war across the Middle East.
