Says Hamas-Israel Gap Is Narrowing But Real Challenges Still Remain, US Secretary of State Believes There's an Agreement

US Foreign Minister Blinken met with a number of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo to discuss the conflict in Gaza. (Twitter/@SecBlinken)

JAKARTA - United States Minister of Foreign Affairs Antony Blinken said on Thursday that he was confident that negotiations in Qatar could still reach an agreement on a ceasefire for the conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, although there were still real challenges.

In Cairo, Egypt, Secretary of State Blinken met with a number of Arab foreign ministers and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as talks in Qatar centered on a roughly six-week ceasefire that would allow the release of 40 Israeli hostages, in exchange for hundreds of detained Palestinians. in Israeli prisons.

"Negotiators continue to work. The gap is narrowing, and we continue to push for an agreement in Doha. There is still difficult work to do to achieve it. But I remain confident that it is possible," said Foreign Minister Blinken, reported by Reuters, March 22.

"We have closed the gap, but there are still real challenges. So I cannot determine a time limit. I can only say that we are committed to doing everything possible to reach an agreement," he explained.

The main sticking point in the ceasefire negotiations was that Hamas said it would release the hostages only as part of a deal that would end the war. Meanwhile, Israel said it would only discuss a temporary pause.

"We have worked, as you know, with Egypt, with Qatar, and with Israel to put a strong proposal on the table. Hamas responded to that," explained Minister of Foreign Affairs Blinken, quoted by CNN.

"Teams are working every day on this," he said.

"There are still real challenges. We have closed the existing gaps, but there are still gaps," he stressed.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he and Foreign Minister Blinken agreed to plan "concrete steps" to increase humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Shoukry stated that Washington and Cairo have the same stance in terms of "total rejection of the military operation in Rafah."

He added that Egypt would do "whatever is possible, whatever is necessary to facilitate the cessation of hostilities and the cessation of military activities."