US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday it was up to Hamas to agree to a ceasefire that would allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and pave the way for talks on an “enduring resolution” to the conflict.
The Palestinian militant group left talks in Cairo aimed at reaching an agreement to pause fighting ahead of Ramadan, amid fears violence could escalate during the holy month.
Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the lack of agreement on a deal that would require Hamas to free some of the hostages it still holds in exchange for a 40-day truce. Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would also be released.
Blinken, ahead of a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, said Washington was still pushing for a ceasefire.
“The issue is Hamas. The issue is whether Hamas will decide or not to have a ceasefire that would benefit everyone,” Blinken said.
“The ball is in their court. We’re working intensely on it, and we’ll see what they do.”
Gaza health authorities say more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, in which Israel said 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted.
Biden says ‘I kinda wish sometimes I was cognitively impaired’ in response to Democrat Jerry Nadler saying no one will have concerns about his fitness for office after State of Union speech
Story by Nikki Schwab, Senior U.S. Political Reporter • 13h • 3 min read
President Joe Biden joked ‘I kinda wish sometimes I was cognitively impaired’ after Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler suggested nobody would question the 81-year-old’s fitness after Thursday’s State of the Union speech.
Biden delivered an hour and seven minute address to a joint session of Congress that contained some gaffes – like accidentally telling Americans he’d fly them to Moscow for cheap prescription drugs.
But Biden also impressed Democrats by boldly going after Republicans – swatting at them over Ukraine funding and derailing the border bill – and taking on former President Donald Trump, though referring to him as ‘my predecessor,’ throughout the speech.
‘Nobody is going to talk about cognitive impairment now,’ Nadler told the president, as Biden worked the House chamber after the speech.
LINK: Blinken says the ball is in Hamas’s court on Gaza ceasefire (msn.com)
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