Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar next Monday through Wednesday in an effort to reach the ceasefire proposal President Joe Biden revealed last week, the State Department announced Friday afternoon.
As of Thursday night, Hamas had yet to respond to the proposal, which Israel has accepted. The US had continued to reject reports that Hamas had rejected the deal, explaining that the only source it would trust is an official response given to Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the deal.
Blinken will emphasize the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal on the table as it's nearly identical to the deal the group endorsed last month, according to the State Department, and discuss how the proposal would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians.
The deal would "set the conditions for further integration between Israel and its Arab neighbors, strengthening Israel’s long-term security and improving stability across the region," the State Department said.
In Jordan, Blinken will attend a conference co-hosted by Jordan, Egypt and the United Nations on the humanitarian response in Gaza.