Blinken regrets Hamas rejection in new truce bid

Palestinian restaurant-owner Bassem Abu Aoun speaks to a customer in front of establishment 'Hay Al-Rimal', named after his neighbourhood in Gaza City, in Cairo on October 28, 2024. [AFP]

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday pinned blame on Hamas for rejecting a temporary Gaza truce as he also pressed Israel again to allow more aid into the Palestinian territory.

A Hamas official told AFP on Friday that the group had received a proposal from Egypt and Qatar for a short-term truce and rejected it for not including a lasting ceasefire to the nearly 13-month war.

In a telephone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Blinken "noted that Hamas has once again refused to release even a limited number of hostages to secure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza," a State Department statement said.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages and increasing and sustaining the delivery of humanitarian assistance," it said.

US President Joe Biden on May 31 laid out a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza war that would include the release of hostages seized in the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on a troop presence on the Egyptian border and US officials had described Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar -- killed last month by Israel -- as intransigent and refusing any deal.

In hopes of making progress, CIA chief Bill Burns in recent discussions with his Mossad counterpart in Qatar spoke of a short-term ceasefire for the release of some of the hostages, according to a source knowledgeable of the talks.

The United States is the main military and diplomatic supporter of Israel. But Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have warned Israel that Washington may withhold some arms without progress by next week in letting more aid into the Gaza Strip.

In a separate call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday, Blinken "reviewed actions Israel has taken to date and urged further actions to substantially increase and sustain humanitarian aid -- including food, medicine and other essential supplies -- to civilians across all of Gaza," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The call comes a day before the US presidential election in which Republican candidate Donald Trump has promised to give freer rein to Israel if he wins.

UNRWA ban

Israel's parliament last week banned dealings with the UN agency in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, despite a direct appeal by Blinken to work with the group.

Blinken, who traveled to the Middle East following Sinwar's death, has been focused in part on establishing a post-war plan for Gaza that would allow Israel to declare an end to the war, even without a negotiated settlement.

The top US diplomat has also been looking for a deal in Lebanon to end Israel's offensive that would force Hezbollah out of border areas.

In his call with Gallant, Blinken discussed "ongoing efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon that allows both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to return safely to their homes," Miller said.