Washington – US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Thursday that Washington wants to resume talks on a proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after the killing of Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Palestinian faction movement.
Miller described Sinwar’s killing as a “seismic event.”
Miller said in a regular press briefing that Sinwar was the “main obstacle” to reaching an end to the war that broke out after an attack launched by Palestinian factions on southern Israel, which Sinwar is believed to have planned. The attack killed about 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
He explained that President Joe Biden’s administration worked in vain for several months with mediators from Qatar and Egypt to reach an agreement that would lead to the cessation of Israeli military operations in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages who were held by Palestinian factions in the attack a little more than a year ago.
Miller added that Sinwar has completely refused to negotiate in the past few weeks.
He added, “It is clear that this obstacle has been removed.” “I cannot expect that this means that whoever replaces (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but (his killing) removes what in recent months has been a major obstacle to reaching a ceasefire.”
He continued to say that Washington will “redouble” its efforts and try to give impetus to the ceasefire agreement “that has been proposed for some time,” without going into the details of the proposal.
Miller stated that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has already spoken to the foreign ministers of Qatar and Saudi Arabia about ending the war in Gaza and the subsequent arrangements for that.
Reuters
#State #Department #Washington #present #proposal #truce #Gaza #killing #Sinwar
