US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan. (Photo: Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Jordan and Israel from Saudi Arabia as ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip gather momentum.
Blinken is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday to negotiate a deal aimed at establishing a ceasefire in Gaza and releasing hostages held by Hamas. He will hold talks with senior Arab officials on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the country.
Blinken's Middle East tour coincides with his arrival in Egypt in response to the latest ceasefire proposal presented to a Hamas delegation.
Blinken extends visit after Biden-Netanyahu meeting
New stops in Israel and Jordan were added to Blinken's trip after US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, according to reports. AFP.
As Mr. Blinken's plane refueled in Ireland, State Department officials confirmed to news agencies that Mr. Blinken would travel from Saudi Arabia to those two countries.
In the phone conversation, Biden and Netanyahu spoke about continued efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, and that more than 1 million Palestinians displaced from the war have been displaced and that Israel They discussed a possible invasion of the southern Gaza town of Rafah, where several battalions of the US Army have taken shelter. continues to make a last stand.
Earlier, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that during his visit, Blinken would emphasize that Hamas, which has not made progress in negotiations, is standing in the way of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Separately, French Foreign Minister Stephane Séjournet will also be heading to Riyadh. He was visiting Saudi Arabia from Lebanon, where he sought to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which has clashed with Israel on an almost daily basis since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. We held a meeting aimed at
No major problems with ceasefire plan = Hamas
Hamas reportedly said Sunday there were no “major problems” ahead of a delegation's arrival in Egypt with a response to the ceasefire proposal. AFP.
“As long as there are no new Israeli obstacles, the atmosphere is positive. There are no major problems with observations and inquiries regarding the content submitted by Hamas. [of the proposal]'' a Hamas official told the news agency on condition of anonymity.
The United States, along with regional partners Qatar and Egypt, has facilitated negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and free hostages. Negotiations had been stalled for several weeks, but there have been reports that they have recently accelerated. Axios reported that for the first time in previous talks, the latest ceasefire proposal included Israel's intention to negotiate an end to the war in Gaza.
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