Blinken Says Israel Agrees To A U.S.-Backed Gaza War Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that Israel has accepted a proposal aimed at bridging differences that have been stalling a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, according to Matthew Lee's report for the Associated Press (AP).

Blinken did not specify whether the so-called bridging proposal addressed Israel's demands for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza, a point Hamas has declared a nonstarter. I Photo: Secretary Antony Blinken X

Blinken made the statement after a 2.5-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day.

He is expected to travel to Egypt on Tuesday. The US, Egypt, and Qatar have been working for months to broker an agreement, but the talks have repeatedly stalled.

Blinken did not specify whether the so-called bridging proposal addressed Israel's demands for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza, a point Hamas has declared a nonstarter, or other contentious issues.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal,” Blinken told reporters.

“The next important step is for Hamas to say ‘yes.’”

Blinken had earlier emphasized the urgency of concluding a Gaza ceasefire agreement that would lead to the return of hostages held by Hamas and provide relief to Palestinian suffering after more than 10 months of devastating conflict in Gaza, as reported by Samy Magdy for AP.