US, Qatar and Egypt to present new Gaza cease-fire proposal, Blinken says

The United States, Qatar and Egypt will soon present a revised cease-fire proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict on Gaza between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Thursday.

New cease-fire proposal to Israel and Hamas

The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt are set to present a new cease-fire proposal to Israel and Hamas, with an agreement expected in the coming days, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Biden administration is striving to find a resolution to the war in Gaza, with 90% of the cease-fire deal already agreed upon.

In remarks delivered in Haiti, Blinken stated that the final sticking points involve Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Gaza-Egypt border, and the terms for exchanging Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

We’re in very active discussions, first of all, with our partners in this effort, Egypt and Qatar, and I expect in the coming days we will share with Israel, and they’ll share with Hamas, our thoughts — the three of us — on exactly how to resolve the remaining outstanding questions, and then it will be time, really, for the parties to decide — yes or no.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Cease-fire efforts on Gaza conflict

Despite previous efforts to broker a cease-fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar have yet to agree on terms. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied a potential cease-fire deal, but the White House keeps saying that the Gaza cease-fire agreement has made significant progress.

The Biden administration’s push for a cease-fire gained fresh urgency after six Israeli hostages were found shot in a Gaza tunnel last weekend, sparking protests in Israel.

In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu expressed pessimism about reaching a deal soon, stating, “Hamas is not there with a deal” and “unfortunately, it’s not close.” The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on Thursday.

The Biden administration has been involved in ongoing negotiations, hoping to secure a cease-fire that includes the release of Israeli hostages captured during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. In the aftermath, Israel launched a military campaign on Gaza which resulted in the killing of over 40,000 Palestinians.

Saudi-Israel diplomatic deal

The war has also affected the potential normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. When asked about the prospects of a peace agreement, Blinken remained optimistic but acknowledged the challenge posed by the conflict.

“If we can get a cease-fire in Gaza, there remains an opportunity for the balance of this administration to move forward on normalization,” Blinken said, adding that the pact would require a pathway to a Palestinian state, a proposal Israel’s leadership has so far rejected.