US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the terms of a ceasefire in Gaza proposed by Hamas presented ‘space for agreement to be reached’ but added that there were also ‘clear non-starters’ during a press conference he held in Tel Aviv.
Blinken spoke hours after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’s proposal and rebuffed US pressure to move more quickly towards a mediated settlement to the war.
The deadliest round of fighting in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, levelled entire neighbourhoods, driven the vast majority of Gaza’s population from their homes and pushed a quarter of the population to starvation.
Speaking of a shared humanity with the people of Gaza, the US state secretary emphasised Israel had to ensure aid reached Gaza
Netanyahu rejects Gaza ceasefire deal and says victory is ‘within reach’
