The US has called on Hamas to agree to a bridging proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza after it gained the backing of Israel.
Speaking after a meeting with Israel’s prime minister, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed with the proposal which would lead to a ceasefire and see the return of Israeli hostages.
The US politician did not say whether the so-called bridging proposal addressed Israel’s demands for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza, which Hamas has said is a nonstarter, or other issues that have long bedevilled the negotiations.
He said there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders,” without offering specifics.
In what Mr Blinken described as a “very constructive” meeting, he said the violence committed by settlers in the West Bank came up in discussions with Mr Netanyahu – but the secretary of state did not elaborate.
Mr Blinken added that he would also be travelling to Egypt and Qatar soon, and that Israel had committed to sending an expert team to the two countries.
The US, Egypt and Qatar have spent months trying to broker an agreement, with the talks repeatedly stalling.
The high-stakes negotiations have gained speed in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war.
The secretary of state had earlier said the latest push for a deal was probably the best and possibly last opportunity, urging both sides towards agreement.
Despite US expressions of optimism and Mr Netanyahu’s office describing the meeting as positive, both Israel and Hamas have signalled that any deal will be difficult.
Hamas accused Mr Netanyahu on Sunday of “thwarting the mediators’ efforts” and Turkey said Hamas envoys had told it that US officials were “painting an overly optimistic picture”.
The current war in Gaza began on 7 October last year when Hamas gunmen stormed across the border into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s military campaign has since levelled swathes of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing at least 40,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities.
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