9:55 a.m. ET, June 12, 2024
Blinken: “It’s time for the haggling to stop and a ceasefire to start”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken questioned whether Hamas is “proceeding in good faith” amid ceasefire negotiations.
Blinken, who is in the region to push for the US-backed ceasefire proposal, said Hamas has proposed a number of changes “which go beyond positions they had previously taken.”
“You get to a point where if one side continues to change its demands, including making demands and insisting on changes for things that it had already accepted, you have to question whether they’re proceeding in good faith or not,” he said while speaking in Qatar on Wednesday.
Blinken said while he believes the current gaps are “bridgeable,” it doesn’t mean they will be closed, saying it “ultimately depends on people saying yes.”
“It’s time for the haggling to stop and a ceasefire to start,” he said.
It is “crucial” to move from an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza “to an enduring end” to the war, he added.
“Day-after plan”: The top US diplomat also said the US would put forward proposals in the coming weeks with ideas for managing governance, security and reconstruction once the war ends.
“That plan is key to turning a ceasefire into an enduring end to the conflict — but also turning an end of war into a just and durable peace,” he said.
Blinken made the comments alongside Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani in Doha. Al-Thani stated that Qatar, Egypt and the US have discussed Hamas’ response to the proposal and said they are committed to “find a way to end the war as soon as possible.”
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed reporting to this post.
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