US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Hamas to accept an immediate ceasefire as negotiations between Israel and the Islamic group are locked in a stalemate.
Blinken said, “It is on Hamas to make decisions about whether it is prepared to engage in the ceasefire.”
He made the statement during a visit by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to Washington on Tuesday.
Blinken also said, “We have an opportunity for an immediate ceasefire that can bring hostages home, that can dramatically increase the amount of humanitarian assistance getting to Palestinians who so desperately need it, and can also set the conditions for an enduring resolution.”
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are continuing intermittently over the ceasefire and release of hostages.
Officials from Hamas arrived in Egypt on Sunday and are meeting with delegates of Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Reuters news agency quoted a Hamas official as saying on Tuesday, “The delegation will remain in Cairo on Tuesday for more talks, they are expected to wrap up this round later today.”
Israel and the mediators reportedly had agreed on a proposal for a roughly six-week pause in fighting in exchange for the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
But Hamas has been sticking to demands for a complete ceasefire, leaving an impasse between the two warring parties.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday that in northern Gaza, one-in-six children under two years old of age were seriously malnourished.
Videos posted on social media show a baby on a bed under treatment and medical workers taking care of a baby in an incubator as an alarm sounds from medical equipment. The room turns dark when a power outage occurs.
A serious humanitarian crisis is deepening in northern Gaza day by day as fighting and Israeli checkpoints are making it difficult for trucks carrying aid supplies to get through.
SOURCE: NHK, Wednesday, March 06, 2024
