Hamas Proposes A Number Of Changes In Ceasefire Proposals, Foreign Minister Blinken: Time To Stop Offerings

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Twitter/@SecBlinken)

JAKARTA - The United States Secretary of State said the militant group Hamas had submitted a number of changes to the ceasefire proposal that had the support of the UN Security Council, reminding it was time to stop bargaining and start a ceasefire.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Blinken in a press statement in Doha, Qatar, when he traveled for the eighth time to the Middle East region, since the latest Hamas-Israeli conflict broke out on October 7, 2023.

"Some changes can be applied. Some don't," Foreign Minister Blinken said, without elaborating on the proposed changes to Hamas.

"We discussed those changes last night with Egyptian colleagues and today with the prime minister," he continued, after meeting Qatari Prime Minister and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.

The top US diplomat stressed the proposed deal was "almost the same" as the proposal received by Hamas previously.

"Hamas could answer with one word, yes," he said.

Foreign Minister Blinken returned to the Middle East to push for a ceasefire proposal promoted by Uncle Sam's country.

"You come to a point where if one party continues to change its demands, including filing demands and insisting on changes to things that have been accepted, you have to question whether they continue in good faith or not," he said.

According to him, although he believes that the current gap "can be bridged", that doesn't mean the gap will be closed, saying "in the end it depends on the people who say "yes"."

"It's time for the bargaining to stop and the ceasefire to begin," he said.