TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the U.N. Security Council’s vote in favor of a U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire…
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the U.N. Security Council’s vote in favor of a U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza made it “as clear as it possibly could be” that the world supports the plan, as he again called on Hamas to accept it.
“Everyone’s vote is in, except for one vote, and that’s Hamas,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv after meeting with Israeli officials. Blinken said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “reaffirmed his commitment to the proposal” when they met late Monday.
Blinken’s latest visit to the region — his eighth since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack ignited the war — is focused on rallying support for the cease-fire proposal, boosting the entry of humanitarian aid and advancing postwar plans for Gaza’s governance. He is traveling on to Jordan as well as Qatar, which along with Egypt has served as a key mediator with Hamas.
The proposal, announced by President Joe Biden last month, calls for a three-phased plan in which Hamas would release the rest of the hostages in exchange for a lasting cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The group is still holding around 120 hostages, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Biden presented it as an Israeli proposal, but Netanyahu has publicly disputed key aspects of it, saying Israel won’t end the war without destroying Hamas and returning all the hostages.
Hamas has not yet formally responded to the proposal. The militant group welcomed the U.N. resolution and supports the broad outline of the agreement but has demanded assurances it will be implemented. The militant group embraced a similar proposal last month that was rejected by Israel.
