Blinken Pushes for Gaza Ceasefire Before Biden Leaves Office, Hostage List Prepared

US Secretary of State Blinken Calls for Final Push for Gaza Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged for a final push towards a Gaza ceasefire before President Joe Biden leaves office. This statement comes after a Hamas official informed Reuters that the group had prepared a list of 34 hostages to be released first under a truce agreement.

During a news conference in South Korea, Blinken expressed his desire to finalize the ceasefire within the remaining two weeks of Biden's presidency. He acknowledged the ongoing talks in Qatar, facilitated by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, with a team of mid-ranking Israeli officials participating. Reports suggested that David Barnea, the head of Mossad and lead negotiator, might join the discussions. However, the Israeli Prime Minister's office remained silent on the matter.

Despite some signs of progress, the proximity of the two sides remains unclear. Key demands continue to hinder a truce agreement, which has been elusive for over a year. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened severe consequences in the Middle East if the hostages remain captive by his inauguration on January 20th. This date has effectively become an unofficial deadline for a ceasefire deal.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of nearly 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The Israeli assault was triggered by Hamas fighters storming Israeli territory in October 2023, leading to the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages, as per Israeli figures.