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- August 18, 2024
- 11:58 am
- Middle East
US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken has agreed to travel to Israel on August 18 as part of Washington's efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would end the 10-month war between Israel and Hamas, which the US and EU have designated as a terrorist organisation.
The trip comes days after the United States unveiled interim proposals that it and fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt believe will help bridge differences between the warring sides.
U.S. officials are newly optimistic about completing a deal, but also caution that more work needs to be done.
On August 16, the Gaza talks were postponed until next week. According to a joint statement, mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, along with Israel and Hamas, failed to achieve a breakthrough, but the statement released said the two days of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, had been constructive.
Another high-level meeting is due to take place in Cairo before the end of next week.
It is indicated that Washington has presented a new proposal based on the points of previous agreements, eliminating differences between the parties to ensure the rapid implementation of the deal.
“Israel and Hamas have been discussing an internationally supported ceasefire proposal for more than two months. During that time, the indirect talks have made no substantive progress and differences remain.”
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