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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Israel has accepted a US-proposed plan aimed at bridging differences to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, urging Hamas to do the same.
What Blinken said: While speaking to reporters, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal. The next important step is for Hamas to say ‘yes.'” Blinken added, “It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process. And so we’re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.”
Digging Deeper: This development comes after there have been major differences between Hamas and Israel when it comes to implementing a ceasefire deal. The main differences revolve around Israel’s demand to maintain a military presence in strategic areas of Gaza, specifically along the Gaza-Egypt border and the Philadelphi Corridor. Israel argues that this presence is necessary to prevent arms smuggling and ensure security, while Hamas demands a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, viewing any ongoing Israeli presence as unacceptable.
What Israel’s Prime Minister’s office is saying: In a brief statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, “The Prime Minister reiterated Israel’s commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel’s security needs, which he strongly insists on.”
More on the proposed ceasefire: The US-proposed ceasefire plan has three phases: First, a six-week “full and complete ceasefire” with Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza and a hostage exchange (though reports indicate that Israel would maintain some military positions in Gaza now). Second, the release of all remaining hostages and a push for a permanent end to hostilities. Finally, a major reconstruction effort in Gaza and the return of deceased hostages’ remains.
