United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Gaza ceasefire negotiations have reached a "final stage" and stressed that it is "critical that all parties finalize an agreement as soon as possible."
Speaking at a joint press conference in Annapolis, Maryland, Blinken said that US President Joe Biden spoke today with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The three leaders discussed the ceasefire talks and agreed on the "urgency of bringing this process to closure."
"No one should escalate this conflict. We've been engaged in intense diplomacy with allies and partners, communicating that message directly to Iran. We communicated that message directly to Israel," Blinken added.