Blinken: Hamas and Israel need to bridge gaps in Gaza ceasefire deal

(Patria) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that both Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are obliged to say yes to the remaining issues in order to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

"Based on what I have seen, 90 percent is agreed upon, but a few critical issues remain," including the so-called Philadelphia corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, Blinken told reporters at a briefing in Haiti. He said there are also some gaps in the agreement on how Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are exchanged, Reuters reported.

"I expect that in the coming days we will share with Israel, and they (Qatar and Egypt) will share with Hamas, our thoughts, the three of us, on how exactly to resolve the remaining outstanding issues," Blinken said, referring to the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt.

President Joe Biden presented a three-phase ceasefire proposal on May 31, but since then there have been gaps regarding a final agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.

Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence on the Philadelphia corridor, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not abandon the corridor.