U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, who is visiting Qatar in the Middle East, announced on the 6th that the Islamic organization Hamas had responded to a proposal from Israel regarding negotiations for a cessation of fighting in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. revealed. Secretary Blinken expressed hope for progress in the negotiations, saying, ``There are still challenges, but an agreement is necessary and possible.''
On the 6th, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken visited Egypt and Qatar, where he plays a mediating role between Israel and Hamas in negotiations for a cessation of fighting in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages, and held a press conference after a series of meetings.
Secretary Blinken said, ``We received a response from Hamas tonight. We are reviewing the content and will discuss it with the Israeli government tomorrow,'' indicating that Hamas had responded to the proposal from the Israeli side. I made it clear.
As for the specific content of the response, the company said, ``As it is a sensitive issue, I will refrain from going into details.''
However, Secretary Blinken expressed hope for progress in the negotiations, saying, ``While there are still challenges, I believe that an agreement is necessary and possible.We will continue working to reach an agreement.''
Regarding retaliation for the attack that killed an American soldier in Jordan, Secretary of State Blinken said, ``The response of the last few days will continue. We need to not only get the message, but take action to end the attack.'' "is important," he said, warning once again to forces that receive support from Iran.
Statements from both Hamas and Israel
Regarding negotiations between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas for a cessation of fighting and the release of hostages, at the end of last month, Israel, along with mediating country Qatar and others, proposed that Hamas release hostages in stages as fighting ceases. It is believed that he presented it to the side.
In response, Hamas released a statement on the 6th saying that it had "worked positively" and reiterated its stance of calling for a complete ceasefire.
In addition, on the 6th, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, which is in charge of negotiations, issued a statement saying, ``Hamas' response has been delivered to the Israeli side through Qatar and is currently being evaluated in detail by relevant parties.''
Regarding negotiations, Hamas is calling for a complete ceasefire, while Israel is refusing to accept a ceasefire, and it appears that there is still a gap between the two sides, and it is unclear whether negotiations will be concluded.