Blinken Calls on Hamas and Israel to Address Gaps in Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, Reports Reuters

By Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Thursday that both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas must agree to unresolved issues in order to finalize a ceasefire deal concerning Gaza, which has faced numerous hurdles during months of negotiations.

Blinken indicated that "90% is agreed," but noted that a few critical issues remain, including the Philadelphi corridor located on the Gaza Strip’s southern border with Egypt. He acknowledged existing discrepancies in the proposed exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

"We anticipate that in the coming days, we will communicate our thoughts to Israel, and mediators from Qatar and Egypt will relay these to Hamas regarding how to address the outstanding questions," Blinken said.

President Joe Biden had outlined a three-phase ceasefire proposal on May 31; however, significant gaps remain regarding a final agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. Hamas has expressed opposition to any Israeli presence in the Philadelphi corridor, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firm that Israel will not relinquish control of that area.

This week, Turkey, five Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority joined Egypt in rejecting Israel’s demand to maintain troop presence in the Philadelphi corridor.

When asked about the possibility of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Blinken stated that "there remains an opportunity" to establish such ties contingent upon achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.

The recent escalation in the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7, when Hamas executed an attack on Israel that resulted in 1,200 fatalities and approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. In retaliation, Israel has conducted an intense military campaign in the Hamas-controlled area, leading to over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, as reported by the local health ministry. This situation has displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million and triggered a humanitarian crisis, including allegations of genocide that Israel has denied.