Blinken Assures Netanyahu Supports US Plan for Gaza Truce, Says Hamas ‘Incumbent’ to ‘Do the Same’

Attempts to end the crisis. Antony Blinken assured him on Monday, August 19 in Tel Aviv that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “confirmed that Israel accepted the compromise plan” Washington’s call for a truce in Gaza. The US Secretary of State said it was now up to Hamas “to do the same”After meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the head of American diplomacy must go to Egypt on Tuesday before going to Qatar, the two other mediating countries which are pushing Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to accept a plan providing for a ceasefire.

For the next discussions scheduled for this week, “Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised to send his negotiating team to Doha or Egypt to try to complete this process”added Antony Blinken. Israel and Hamas have said for weeks that they support the three-phase plan proposed in late May by US President Joe Biden. But Hamas is now accusing Israel of adding “new conditions” which he believes he is being forced to do via “American dictates”.

The Israeli Prime Minister said he wanted the release of “maximum number of hostages alive” from the first phase of a three-phase plan proposed by the United States for a truce in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu said he “cannot be flexible” on certain points and advocates “negotiations, not an exchange where we only give without receiving anything.”

“What I would say to Hamas and its leadership is that if they really care about the Palestinian people that they claim to represent in some way, then they should say yes to this agreement and work towards a clear understanding on how to implement it.”continued Antony Blinken. “The only, fastest, best and most effective way to alleviate the terrible suffering of the Palestinians caused by the Hamas attack on October 7 and the war that followed is to complete this agreement.”he hammered home.