Blinken says US will try to bridge Israel-Hamas gaps on deal
Doha, Qatar – AFP
Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Wednesday to keep pressing to seal a Gaza cease-fire deal, saying that not all Hamas demands were acceptable but voicing hope that gaps could be closed.
Consulting with key mediator Qatar on the Hamas response to President Joe Biden’s plan, Blinken said Hamas could have given a “clear and simple yes” but voiced guarded hope for moving forward.
Of the demands of Hamas, Blinken said “some of the changes are workable, some are not”.
“We’re determined to try to bridge the gaps. And I believe those gaps are bridgeable,” Blinken said. “That doesn’t mean they will be bridged because, ultimately, Hamas has to decide,” he said.
“The longer this goes on, the more people will suffer, and it’s time for the haggling to stop.”
Israel has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October last year.
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