Israel President Herzog meets with US Secretary Blinken

Tel Aviv [Israel]: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken who is in Tel Aviv, in a fresh push for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, called on Israel President Issac Herzog on Monday.

At the start of his meeting with Blinken, the Israeli President was cited by the Times of Israel as blaming Hamas for failure to reach a hostage deal stating that "people have to understand it starts with a refusal of Hamas to move forward."

According to the Israeli publication, Herzog thanked US President Joe Biden for "showing and projecting power" in the region amidst threats by Iran. He also thanked the US, Egypt and Qatar for acting as mediators on a ceasefire proposal and expressed hope "that we can move forward in the negotiations".

"There is no greater humanitarian objective, and there's no greater humanitarian cause than bringing back our hostages home as they should have returned long ago," Herzog said as cited by the Times of Israel. Meanwhile, Blinken has said that is "a decisive moment" in the war.

"This is a decisive moment -- probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security," Blinken said.

According to the Washington Post which cited diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity, key sticking points in the proposed ceasefire have been Israel's insistence on maintaining a military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza and the establishment of checkpoints to inspect Palestinians seeking to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

There are also unresolved issues related to the roster of Palestinian detainees Israel will agree to release, the US publication said. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that Blinken during his Israel visit will push hard for a conclusion of the deal, which "would achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages, ensure humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout Gaza, and create the conditions for broader regional stability."

This visit marks Blinken's ninth visit to Tel Aviv since the war between Israel and Hamas started. The US Secretary of State is set to meet other Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the White House indicates that a deal is ready to be closed.

Mid-level Israeli negotiators held talks in Cairo on Sunday after holding discussions for two days in Qatar, sparking optimism among the mediating nations. Working groups continue to stay in Doha. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the same day that Blinken arrived in Israel, seven members of the same family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza.

(ANI)