Speaking in Tel Aviv after a series of meetings with Israeli officials, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believes there is a “strong consensus” among Israeli leaders to move forward with the Gaza ceasefire plan. Blinken mentioned that Netanyahu, whom he met yesterday, reiterated his support for the plan. He also received positive signals from Defence Minister Gallant and other Israeli officials. “This proposal and moving forward on it is the first step,” Blinken told reporters in the Israeli capital. “We want to see it come to fruition.”
Continuing his remarks in Tel Aviv, Blinken addressed Hamas’s role in ceasefire negotiations. He stated that Hamas’s expression of support for a UN-backed Gaza ceasefire plan is a “hopeful sign”. The US remains committed to “the defeat of Hamas”, but Blinken emphasized that military means alone are not sufficient to achieve this goal. “There has to be a clear political plan, a clear humanitarian plan, in order to ensure Hamas does not in any shape or form resume control of Gaza”.
Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan joins us live from the Jordanian campital Amman, to discuss the latest updates.
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