U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed on Saturday for Israel to “continue intensive diplomatic efforts to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees through the bridging proposal presented today by the United States, with support from Egypt and Qatar,” according to the U.S. State Department.
“This proposal would achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages, ensure humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout Gaza and create the conditions for broader regional stability,” Foggy Bottom added, noting that Blinke will stress the importance of avoiding regional escalation.
“I am sending Secretary Blinken to Israel to reaffirm my iron-clad support for Israel’s security, continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement and to underscore that with the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process,” U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Friday.
Biden said that he reviewed “the significant progress made in Doha over the past two days of talks” with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
“They expressed the strong support of Qatar and Egypt for the U.S. proposal as co-mediators in this process,” Biden said. “Our teams will remain on the ground to continue technical work over the coming days, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week. They will report to me regularly.”
