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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his ninth trip to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip without making any significant progress on a ceasefire agreement.
He stressed that time is of the essence, despite signs that challenges remain from both Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
Blinken said after a meeting with mediating countries Egypt and Qatar that now that Israel has accepted a proposal to resolve differences to reach a ceasefire agreement, the focus should now be on getting Hamas to agree and for all parties to work out the details of implementing the agreement.
“Our clear, unequivocal and immediate message is that we must get a deal, that we release the hostages, and we must do it now because time is of the essence,” the US secretary of state told reporters before leaving Qatar.
A ceasefire is needed as recent targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah militia leaders in Iran and Lebanon have heightened fears of a wider regional war, with the promise of retaliation fuelling fears of a wider regional war.
Few details have been released about the dispute resolution plan proposed by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, but Blinken said: “The timetable and location for the withdrawal of (Israeli troops) from Gaza is very clear.”
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