US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for cease-fire talks. He is set to meet Israel’s prime minister and its president on his fifth crisis trip to the Middle East. The United States’ top diplomat, arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv late on Tuesday night. Blinken has already held talks in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar during what is his fifth crisis tour of the Middle East. His visit comes as Hamas, the Islamist militant group ruling Gaza, proposed a detailed a new plan for a cease-fire and hostage deal, which Blinken is expected to discuss with Israeli officials. According to reports, the proposal lays out a three-phase plan to unfold over more than four months, seeing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, and ultimately an end to the war. The proposed plan, however, would effectively allow Hamas to remain in power in Gaza and possibly rebuild its military capabilities, which Israel strongly rejects. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US, the EU and several other countries.
Report: Hamas delivers counterproposal for a truce deal | DW News
