Blinken Says ‘Time Is of the Essence’ for Gaza Truce Deal
- Top US diplomat leaves Middle East without a cease-fire deal
- Hamas and Israel fail to agree on latest US proposal
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East late Tuesday with Hamas and Israel still divided over an American proposal to pause, if not permanently end, the war in Gaza.
After a day spent meeting with Egyptian and Qatari officials, Blinken reiterated that Israel had agreed to what the top US diplomat called a “bridging” agreement that would create space for the two sides to hammer out the details of a cease-fire introduced by President Joe Biden in May. Now it’s Hamas’s turn, he said.