US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken insisted tonight during a press conference in Tel Aviv that there is still room for an agreement between Israel and Hamas to free hostages held in the Gaza Strip, despite the harsh language used earlier today by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Pointing to certain claims that cannot be accepted in Hamas’s response, Blinken stressed that it leaves “room for an agreement” and that “we will work tirelessly to get to that point.”

The US Secretary of State also stressed that the protection of civilians must be a priority in any Israeli military operation. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military leadership to prepare an operation in Rafah – home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians – taking an uncompromising stance and estimating that final victory over Hamas was “a matter of months”.

In talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli government officials, Blinken said he raised Washington’s concern about “actions and statements” that inflame tensions and undermine Israel’s security and support from the international community.