United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that this could be the “last opportunity” to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by militants.
Blinken spoke at a morning meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog before later holding talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire.
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“This is also to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv, noting it was his ninth visit since the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been acting as mediators in a series of indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The latest two-day round of talks in Qatar concluded on Friday without a major breakthrough, but negotiations are set to resume in Cairo this week.