2024-03-22 07:34:52
The United States continues to try to work out an agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today, quoted by Reuters.
He said this at a joint press conference in Cairo with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
There is still hard work to be done before an agreement can be reached, but “I continue to believe it is possible,” Blinken stressed.
According to him, “the gap is narrowing” at the negotiations in Doha, reported France Press.
Tomorrow, the head of Israeli intelligence is expected to meet with the director of the CIA in the Qatari capital, BTA reported.
A possible large-scale Israeli military operation in the city of Rafah would be a mistake, the US secretary of state warned.
“There are better ways to deal with the threat from Hamas,” Blinken stressed.
He added that Israel must do more to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, for his part, said he agreed with Blinken on planning “concrete steps” to increase the flow of aid to Gaza and improve coordination.
The US Secretary of State also said that progress has also been made in recent months on the prospect of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
He made this statement a day after his visit to the kingdom, where he spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, AFP noted.