Three-phase Israel–Hamas war ceasefire proposal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday to advance negotiations for a potential hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, according to The Times of Israel. This marks Blinken's ninth visit since the conflict began in October.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel to push for a Gaza truce, said on Monday that ongoing negotiations were "maybe the last" chance to reach an agreement to end the war.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due in Israel on Sunday as mediators seek to cement a Gaza ceasefire deal, while a senior Hamas official dismissed "American diktats" in negotiations.

Hamas said Friday it rejected "new conditions" in a Gaza ceasefire proposal that U.S.-led mediators presented during two days of talks in Qatar.

Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to alleviate the suffering endured over more than 10 months of war, but U.S. President Joe Biden insisted after the latest round of talks that "we are closer than we have ever been."

White House Press Secretary John Kirby today referred to a “positive start” in the talks that have just begun in Doha, focusing on achieving a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Pressure built for a Gaza ceasefire to be agreed at talks that resumed Thursday in Qatar, aiming to stop the spread of a war that the Hamas-run territory's health ministry said has killed 40,000.

A source with knowledge of the talks confirmed to AFP that they had begun in the Qatari capital Doha.

Qatar is set to host Gaza ceasefire talks on Thursday, seeking a so-far elusive agreement that the United States hopes will stop Iran from striking Israel and avert a wider war.

Palestinian children sit on a whindow sill at the Asdaa central prison facility which has become a shelter for displaced people in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on August 14, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had a telephone conversation about Gaza, developments in the Middle East, and two significant crises on the African continent.

The head of US diplomacy underscored the importance of Hamas returning to the negotiating table for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant exchanged criticism on Monday over stalled talks for a ceasefire deal that would free hostages held in Gaza.