Israel has accepted an American proposal to bridge its differences with Hamas over terms for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.
Blinked called on Hamas to also accept the latest plan but didn't detail what had changed or whether it addressed concerns cited by the militant Palestinian group, the Associated Press reported.
His remarks came after a 2 1/2-hour meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Blinken described as "very constructive."
"The next important step is for Hamas to say 'Yes,'" Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu called the meeting "good and important" and praised the "understanding that the United States has shown to our vital security interests, along with our shared efforts to release our hostages," AP said.
Netanyahu also said he wanted Hamas to release the maximum number of hostages during the first stage of the proposed deal.
Blinken said there were still "complex issues" that require "hard decisions by the leaders," without specifying what they were.
He also didn't say whether the U.S. proposal addressed issues that have so far prevented a deal, including Israel's demand for control over two strategic corridors in Gaza, which Hamas has rejected, AP said.
Blinken planned to travel to Egypt and Qatar to continue negotiations that have taken on new urgency since Israel's targeted killing of an Iran-backed Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and the assassination of Hamas' political leader in Iran, which has blamed Israel for the slaying.
