Blinken says US working to ‘bridge remaining gaps’ on Hamas-Israel deal
Vienna, Austria – AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Washington was working “intensively” with its partners “to bridge the remaining gaps” for a deal to free prisoners held by Hamas and secure a cease-fire in Gaza.
“Yes, there has been a counter-proposal put forward by Hamas. I obviously can’t get into the details of what that involves, but what I can tell you is we’re working intensively with Israel, with Qatar, with Egypt, to bridge the remaining gaps and to try to reach an agreement,” Blinken said during a visit to Vienna.
Hamas has proposed a new six-week truce in Gaza and an exchange of several dozen Israeli prisoners for Palestinians held in Israeli jails, an official from the group told AFP on Friday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel would send a delegation to Doha for another round of talks on securing the release of the Israelis in Gaza.
“I think it reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency to get an agreement, to get a cease-fire, to get the hostages back, to get even more humanitarian assistance in,” Blinken said about Israel’s move.
When asked about a possible Israel military offensive on Rafah, Blinken said the US had not seen such plans, reiterating that Washington wants a “clear and implementable plan” to ensure civilians are “out of harm’s way”.
Israel has killed at least 31,490 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, since October 7, according to the health ministry in the territory.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
