US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back to Middle East as Gaza truce hopes rise
Antony Blinken left Saturday on a mission to the Middle East to push ahead a Gaza ceasefire deal, as cautious optimism rises.
The top US diplomat, who is putting off vacation plans for his ninth trip to the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, will fly to Tel Aviv ahead of expected meetings with the Israeli leadership.
He has routinely visited Arab states on previous trips but no further stops were immediately announced.
Blinken flew out of Andrews Air Force Base after two days of ceasefire talks urged by President Joe Biden brokered with Egypt and Qatar wrapped up in the Qatari capital Doha.
US officials said they made progress and offered a proposal to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas, with talks to resume later in the coming week in Cairo.
Biden said that «we are closer than we have ever been» to a deal, with a US official saying the process was not in its «end game.»
The official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said that the diplomats were setting up an «implementation cell» so they can quickly move ahead on the deal if it is completed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in a statement said that negotiators have expressed «cautious optimism» about reaching an agreement and called for pressure on Hamas, which has dismissed talk of a truce being close.
Under a plan laid out by Biden on May 31, fighting would stop for an initial six weeks that would be extended as talks take place on a permanent ending, with hostages and prisoners released.
While Biden has cast
