U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to a cease-fire proposal during a meeting in Jerusalem, as the U.S. tries to gain momentum for a plan announced by President Joe Biden.
“I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night and he reaffirmed his commitment to the proposal,” Blinken told reporters on Tuesday on his eighth trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October.
Blinken said the response from Hamas — a U.S.-designated terrorist group — to a United Nations Security Council resolution backing the cease-fire was a “hopeful sign.” However, he stressed that a final decision on the plan from Hamas leadership in Gaza was what really mattered.
Biden laid out a three-phase peace plan on May 31 that he said was backed by Israel, but the level of support from the Jewish State has been clouded by uncertainty over whether all or part of the proposal has been approved. Israel and Hamas have for months struggled to agree terms that could lead to an end to the war.
___
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
