JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken known as on Monday (Jan 6) for a closing push for a Gaza ceasefire earlier than President Joe Biden leaves workplace, after a Hamas official advised Reuters the group had cleared an inventory of 34 hostages as first to go free below a truce.
“We very a lot wish to deliver this over the end line within the subsequent two weeks, the time we’ve remaining,” Blinken advised a information convention in South Korea, when requested whether or not a ceasefire deal was shut.
Israel has despatched a staff of mid-ranking officers to Qatar for talks brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Some Arabic media reviews mentioned David Barnea, the pinnacle of Mossad, who has been main negotiations, was anticipated to affix them. The Israeli prime minister’s workplace didn’t remark.
It stays unclear how shut the 2 sides stay, with some indicators of motion however little indication of a shift in among the key calls for which have up to now blocked any truce for greater than a yr.
US President-elect Donald Trump has mentioned there can be “hell to pay” within the Center East if hostages held by Hamas weren’t freed earlier than his inauguration on Jan 20, now seen within the area as an unofficial deadline for a truce deal.
In accordance with Gaza well being officers, almost 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza. The assault was launched after Hamas fighters stormed Israeli territory in October 2023, killing 1,200 individuals and capturing greater than 250 hostages, by Israeli tallies.
