U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his ninth visit to the Middle East since the start of the Gaza war without making significant progress toward a ceasefire agreement.
He warned that "the time has come" to end the war, even as both Hamas and Israel acknowledged ongoing challenges.
According to the Associated Press, Blinken's remarks at the end of his latest peace mission were notably lacking the optimism previously expressed by officials from President Joe Biden's administration before and earlier during his trip.
The agency noted that after meetings in Egypt and Qatar, Blinken stated that with Israel's acceptance of a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel's and Hamas's positions, the focus had shifted to doing everything possible to "engage Hamas" and ensure that both sides agree on key details regarding the implementation of the ceasefire.
Only a few details about the "bridging proposal" were revealed—Blinken mentioned it includes clear guidelines on the timeline and locations for Israeli military withdrawals from Gaza.
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