Blinken Urges Progress on Gaza Ceasefire Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the latest diplomatic push by Washington to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza "probably the best, maybe the last opportunity" and urged all parties to get the agreement over the finish line.

Blinken spoke as he met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The marathon talks towards a ceasefire that has been going on for months are set to continue this week in Cairo, following a two-day meeting in Doha last week.

"But the focus of my visit is intensely on getting the hostages back, getting the ceasefire done. It is time for everyone to get to 'yes' and to not look for any excuses to say 'no.'" Blinken said.

Blinken will intensify U.S. diplomatic pressure to ensure negotiators secure a breakthrough later this week after the U.S. put forward last week bridging proposals that the mediating countries believe would close gaps between the warring parties.

"At the bottom of it, people have to understand it starts with the refusal of Hamas to move forward with it.We are simply still very hopeful that we can move forward in the negotiations that are held by the mediators," said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

There is no greater humanitarian objective and there is no greater humanitarian cause than bringing back our hostages home as they should've returned long ago," he added.

The mediating countries - Qatar, the United States and Egypt - have so far failed to narrow enough differences to reach an agreement in months of on-off negotiations, and violence continued unabated in Gaza.

Earlier, another Israeli strike killed at least five Palestinians in Nuseirat according to Palestinian health authorities in Gaza, ahead of a visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to try to push forward ceasefire talks.

Diplomatic efforts to halt the Israel-Hamas conflict and secure a deal to return hostages held in Gaza have intensified in recent days.