Tuesday Briefing: U.S. Said Israel Agreed to Cease-Fire Proposal

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a “bridging proposal” aimed at closing the gap between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire deal for Gaza.

A spokesman for Netanyahu confirmed that the prime minister had told Blinken that Israel had agreed to the proposal, which U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators presented last week. Blinken discussed the proposal during a three-hour meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Hamas officials did not immediately comment, but they have called the proposal slanted toward Israel.

What’s next: Negotiations on a cease-fire deal are expected to resume this week in Egypt. Blinken said that the talks represent “probably the best, maybe the last” chance to bring the hostages home and “put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.”

On the ground:

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