The Palestinian movement Hamas remains “the only obstacle between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire” with Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.
“We’re waiting to see if they actually agree to a ceasefire and release the hostages,” Blinken said at the McCain Institute’s Sedona forum in Arizona.
“Right now, the reality is that Hamas is the only obstacle between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire,” he added.
Israel and mediating countries are still awaiting the movement’s response to a proposal for a 40-day ceasefire linked to the release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A Hamas delegation leaves for Cairo on Saturday to continue talks.
Noting that Hamas militants “claim to represent” the Palestinian people, Blinken said that “if that is true, the ceasefire should be accepted.”
The US secretary of state also estimated that an Israeli attack on Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip that is home to more than a million Palestinians displaced by the war, would cause damage “greater than is acceptable”.
According to Blinken, Israel has not presented any plan to protect civilians during this possible attack.
“In the absence of such a plan, we cannot support a large-scale military operation in Rafah, because the damage it would cause would be beyond what is acceptable,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Thursday the intention to launch an offensive in Rafah “with or without an agreement” on a ceasefire.
“We will do whatever it takes to defeat and defeat our enemy,” he said, Hina writes.
