Gaza ceasefire talks may be last chance for peace - Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Washington's latest diplomatic push to secure a ceasefire in Gaza could represent the "probably the best, maybe the last opportunity" to resolve the conflict.
Blinken urged all parties involved to bring the process to a conclusion.
Talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire, which has been ongoing for several months, are set to resume this week in Cairo after a two-day meeting in Doha last week.
Blinken emphasized that the US would intensify diplomatic pressure on negotiators to secure a breakthrough by the end of the week.
"This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,'" Blinken said ahead of his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Despite months of negotiations, mediators—Qatar, the US, and Egypt—have so far been unable to bridge the gaps between the sides, and the conflict in Gaza continues. Hamas accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of derailing the talks and delaying an agreement, putting Israeli hostages in Gaza at greater risk.
War in Gaza strip
The conflict began on October 7 last year when Hamas militants invaded Israeli territory, leading to the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of about 250 hostages.
In July, Hamas initially approved a US-proposed plan for a phased ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, abandoning its key demand for a complete end to Israel's military operations. However, the first version of the peace plan was not implemented, as Israel insisted on continuing military actions until Hamas leadership was fully eliminated.
