US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed confidence today that the Gaza ceasefire agreement will come into effect on Sunday after Israel postponed a vote on it by the security cabinet and accused “Hamas“ of reneging on it, Agence France-Presse reported.
“I am confident and expect implementation to begin, as we said, on Sunday“, the Secretary of State said at his farewell press conference in Washington, which was interrupted several times by chanting demonstrators.
“Criminal! "You belong in The Hague!" shouted independent journalist Sam Husseini as Blinken began his press conference. The Hague is home to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Reuters reports.
Husseini was escorted out by security after he continued to interrupt Blinken.
The US Secretary of State was interrupted at least twice more by opponents of US policy on the Gaza conflict.
Blinken said he had spoken this morning with US negotiator Brett McGurk and Qatari officials about the Gaza ceasefire.
“It is not surprising that in a negotiation process that has been so difficult and unpredictable, there may be unresolved details“, Blinken said, adding: “We are trying to resolve those details even at this time“.
The US Secretary of State said that he and other officials from the administration of President Joe Biden, who is ending their mandate on Monday, are in telephone contact, trying to resolve the problems with the ceasefire.
The first six-week phase of the truce provides for the release of 33 hostages held in the Palestinian enclave in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, AFP reported.
According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, “Hamas“ has backed down “on some points“ in order to “force last-minute concessions“.
The Israeli security cabinet, which must approve the agreement before it is voted on by the cabinet, will not meet until it receives guarantees from the mediating countries that the “Hamas“ "has accepted all elements of the agreement," Netanyahu's office said today. According to Israeli media, however, such a meeting will take place tomorrow, reported Agence France-Presse, Reuters and TASS.