2024-05-07 17:01:54
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his opinion about the possibility of concluding a deal between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas on the release of the hostages. According to him, for the militants agreeing to a ceasefire should be “an easy matter.” However, Blinken also pointed out that the motives of Hamas’ leadership remain unclear.
The Times of Israel writes about this.
Hamas sent a delegation to Cairo to continue negotiations mediated by Egypt and Qatar, which aim to temporarily halt the Israeli offensive in exchange for the release of the hostages.
“We expect them to agree to a ceasefire and the release of the hostages,” Blinken said.
However, he noted that Hamas, which is the main obstacle to a ceasefire, claims to be the representative of the Palestinian Arabs, which makes the negotiation process not so easy.
Blinken added that key decisions from Hamas are made by those inside Gaza itself, making direct contact with them impossible.
The US is warning Israel against advancing on Rafah, Hamas’s last major bastion, without a plan to protect civilians. Blinken stressed that Israel has not yet presented a credible plan to protect civilians at risk.
Earlier, Kursor wrote that Israel expressed its readiness to release a high-ranking terrorist in exchange for a deal for the release of hostages.