US Continuing to Call for Gaza Cease-Fire

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The United States is still pushing for a cease-fire deal between Israel and the militant group Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday at a press conference in Cairo ahead of a high-stakes trip to Israel.

"There's a clear consensus around a number of shared priorities," Blinken said about his discussions in the Egyptian capital. "First: the need for an immediate sustained cease-fire, with release of hostages."

A cease-fire would create space for more humanitarian aid, he added.

Blinken was in Egypt for talks Thursday focused on efforts to secure a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, gain release of hostages held in Gaza, and move more humanitarian aid into Gaza to help Palestinian civilians badly in need of assistance.

Negotiators are continuing to work on a cease-fire agreement, Blinken said.

"The gaps are narrowing, and we're continuing to push for an agreement in Doha. There's still difficult work to get there, but I continue to believe it's possible," Blinken said at the press conference.

"We've closed the gaps, but there are still gaps. So, I can't put a timeline on it. I can just say that we're committed to doing everything possible to reaching an agreement," he said.

The main point of contention in negotiations has been that Hamas says it will release the remaining hostages only as part of a deal that would end the war, whereas Israel says it will consider only a temporary pause.

While in Cairo, the State Department said Blinken discussed a potential halt in fighting lasting at least six weeks, as well as the release of all remaining hostages, as he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The top U.S. diplomat also met with representatives from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.