U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the United States will not accept a long-term Israeli occupation in Gaza, and that Israeli forces will need to remain within the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza.
According to Reuters, Blinken returned home after completing a Middle East tour, which included a visit to Lebanon.
Blinken undertook the tour in an effort to accelerate ceasefire efforts in Gaza. During the trip, he met with the leadership of Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon, but there seems to be no hope of ending the 10-month-long conflict despite these efforts.
Before departing from Doha to Washington, Blinken told journalists, "There is a need to complete this agreement; it needs to be finalized in the coming days, and we will do everything possible to achieve this."
A senior official from the Biden administration, who traveled with Blinken, mentioned that the U.S. expects negotiations on the ceasefire to continue this week.
On Tuesday, Blinken held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and later visited Qatar.
After meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Blinken said that Israel had accepted the U.S. proposal and urged Hamas to do the same.
Although Hamas has not rejected the U.S. proposals, it stated that the pre-agreed terms have been significantly altered.
In response to a question in Qatar regarding the conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli forces under the ceasefire framework, Blinken said that the U.S. would not accept a long-term Israeli occupation of Gaza.
He stated, "This agreement is very clear on the schedule of the Israeli Defense Forces and the points of withdrawal from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to it."
Blinken described the recent push for a ceasefire agreement as the last best possible chance, adding that his meeting with Netanyahu was constructive, and now it is up to Hamas to decide whether to accept the proposal.
In response to Blinken's comments, a senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters that Blinken remains trapped within a circle of lies, which is one of the reasons for the failure to reach an agreement.
Both Hamas and Egypt oppose the presence of Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, but Netanyahu insists that there is a need to prevent arms smuggling in Gaza and is adamant about maintaining forces in the corridor.
Egyptian security sources indicated that the U.S. has proposed international presence in the Philadelphi Corridor area, which is only acceptable to Egypt if they remain in the corridor for no longer than six months.
After meeting with Blinken, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that alongside the ceasefire in Gaza, the recognition of a Palestinian state and the implementation of a two-state solution should begin, as it is the fundamental guarantee for stability in the region.
Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani emphasized the importance of strengthening regional and international efforts to reach a ceasefire and a hostage exchange agreement in Gaza during a telephone conversation with Blinken.
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