Netanyahu says meeting with Blinken “positive” as mediators push for Israel-Hamas truce

JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described his three-hour meeting on Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Israel to push for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, as “positive.”
In a statement, Netanyahu said the meeting was “held in a good atmosphere,” adding that he “reiterated Israel’s commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel’s security needs, on which he strongly insists.”
Egyptian sources reported that the talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza resumed in Cairo on Monday morning, but no progress was achieved. During the talks, Israel demanded to maintain control over the border region between Egypt and Gaza, while Hamas insisted on a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
Netanyahu told Blinken that the Israeli delegation would return for further talks in Cairo later this week after the team left the Egyptian capital just a few hours after Monday’s talks began.
Officials with the delegation told Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news that the early departure was due to the government’s “too limited” mandate for discussing concessions, adding that it needed to be expanded to reach an agreement. ■