Tel Aviv [Israel], August 20 (HBTV): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps in ceasefire negotiations and urged Hamas to accept it ahead of further negotiations expected later this week, according to CNN. 

Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv, Blinken stated, "In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal and supports it. It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same." 

"And then the parties, with the help of the mediators--the United States, Egypt, and Qatar--have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments they've made under this agreement. But the next important step is for Hamas to say yes, and then, in the coming days, for all of the expert negotiators to get together to work on clear understandings on implementing the agreement," he added. 

Even after Blinken's statement that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the bridging proposal, there are still significant challenges before a deal can actually be reached. Hamas has not yet agreed to the proposal. However, negotiators are still working on the specific details of how an agreement would be implemented. 

The top US diplomat said they are also working to establish "clear understandings on how the different parties are going to fulfill their commitments," according to CNN. 

Before meeting Israeli officials on Monday, Blinken said the push to finalise a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza has reached a "decisive moment" as he visited Israel before traveling to Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday.

In his remarks alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv before the two leaders held a meeting, Blinken stated this is "probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire, and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security." 

He said, "It is time for everyone to get to yes and to not look for any excuses to say no." Blinken added, "It is time for it to get done. It's also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process," CNN reported. 

Addressing the press conference, Antony Blinken underscored the urgency of the moment, stressing that "intervening events come along that may make things even more difficult, if not impossible." He stated, "We've experienced that throughout this process, so there's the fierce urgency of now." 

Blinken and the Israeli prime minister's office announced that Israel had agreed to the bridging proposal after a three-hour meeting between the top US diplomat and Netanyahu on Monday. The two sides termed the meeting constructive. Blinken said the Israeli PM expressed commitment to sending senior negotiators to "complete this process" in either Qatar or Egypt.

It is not clear what exactly is in the "bridging proposal." 

(ANI)