WASHINGTON, June 3. /TASS/. The radical Palestinian movement Hamas should immediately accept the ceasefire offer and release all Israeli hostages, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during telephone conversations with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
According to written statements by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Blinken spoke with Gantz and Galant about "the proposal to achieve a full and complete ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal, secure the release of all hostages, and surge humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza." "The Secretary commended Israel’s readiness to conclude a deal and affirmed that the onus is on Hamas to accept," Miller added.
Blinken opined that "the proposal would advance Israel’s long-term security interests, including by unlocking the possibility of calm along Israel’s border with Lebanon that would allow Israelis to return to their homes."
US President Joe Biden on May 31 presented a three-step plan to de-escalate tensions over Gaza, which he said was put forward by the Israeli side. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that according to the proposal, Israel will continue to insist that its conditions be met before a permanent ceasefire is implemented.
Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the crisis, and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes have also been reported on the West Bank. In late November 2023, a temporary humanitarian ceasefire was brokered by Egypt and Qatar that lasted a week, during which 110 hostages were released, according to Israel. On December 1, the ceasefire was violated and fighting resumed, continuing to this day.