Senior Hamas official said on Tuesday, the Palestinian militant
group had accepted a United Nations backed ceasefire resolution and
is ready to negotiate details. The Un Security Council
approved us President Joe Biden's proposal for a truce on
Monday. Biden's proposal would pause fighting in the Gaza
Strip and facilitate the return of Israelis held hostage by
Hamas. Ultimately leading to an end to the war
. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Tel
Aviv on Tuesday and said Hamas's response to the resolution
was a hopeful sign the United Nations Security Council in
effect, speaking for the entire international community made it
as clear as it possibly could be that this is
what the world is looking for. But he said
he'd seen such signs before. What is dispositive,
at least what's so far been dispositive one way or
another is the word coming from Gaza and from the
Hamas leadership in Gaza, that's what counts and that's
what we don't have yet. And that's why I
say we're waiting to see the governments of Egypt and
Qatar have been mediating talks between Israel and Hamas.
An official close to those talks told Reuters mediators have
not received formal replies from either side, accepting the
Un backed truce proposal. And both sides suggested on
Tuesday, the plan fit their clashing goals, raising
doubt whether any genuine headway toward a deal had been
made. The war began when Hamas led Palestinian militants
stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on October 7,
killing more than 1200 people and seizing more than two
150 as hostages. According to Israeli tallies, Israel's
retaliatory air and ground onslaught in Gaza has killed more
than 37,000 Palestinians. The Gaza Health Ministry said on
Tuesday, Israeli strikes have reduced most of the densely
populated coastal enclave to Wasteland. Lincoln traveled from Israel
to neighboring Jordan for a summit on the humanitarian response
for Gaza's 2.3 million residents, most of whom are
now homeless. The American diplomat announced more than$400
million in assistance for Palestinians.