US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken revealed to CNN that a Gaza ceasefire could have been reached earlier. When asked whether an earlier agreement could have saved lives, Blinken affirmed, “Should this have happened months ago? Yes. Could it have happened months ago? Yes.”
Despite the challenges, Blinken confirmed that the US had managed to push the process forward and was now “on the brink” of a ceasefire agreement. This progress follows successful mediation efforts by Qatar, Cairo, and Washington. The agreement, approved by Hamas on Wednesday, includes the release of “Israeli” hostages and Palestinian prisoners, alongside a ceasefire in Gaza, to be implemented in three phases starting Sunday.
However, the deal hit a roadblock when “Israeli” occupation delayed a Cabinet vote, claiming that Hamas had reneged on parts of the agreement. Palestinian National Initiative President Mustafa Barghouti expressed confidence that the ceasefire would take place but warned that Netanyahu could sabotage the deal, as he had done in the past.
Barghouti also criticized Netanyahu for delaying a similar deal last year, which he believed could have saved thousands of Palestinian lives. Barghouti pointed out that if the deal had been reached earlier, “at least 10,000 Palestinian lives” could have been spared.
