“It is really incumbent on both sides to reach an agreement on the remaining issues,” the top US diplomat said.
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The United States has urged Israel and the Palestinian Hamas to finalize a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. “It is really up to both sides to reach an agreement on the remaining issues.”the head of American diplomacy affirmed on Thursday, September 5, Antony Blinken, at a press conference.
Along with Qatar and Egypt, the United States, Israel’s main ally, has been working for months to mediate to convince the two sides to reach an agreement, nearly 11 months after the start of the war in Gaza. However, Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement continue to accuse each other of blocking the negotiations. On a trip to Haiti, Antony Blinken confirmed US assessments that 90% of the deal was ready.
“Even though I think we are close to a ceasefire agreement, every day that goes by without it being finalized and the parties saying ‘yes, period’ is a day when something else happens … that just pushes things back and risks derailing a very fragile affair.”warned the Secretary of State.