The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken left Tel Aviv on Tuesday for Egypt to continue talks to reach a truce in the war between Israel and her Hamas at Gauzebut also for the release of the hostages.

After meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem yesterday Monday, Blinken continues his tour of the region. In addition to Egypt, he will also go to Qatar, as these two countries, along with the US, are mediating the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

The US secretary is to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in El Alamein.

He will then hold talks with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Doha, where the latest negotiations to reach a ceasefire in Gaza took place last week. Negotiations are expected to continue this week in Cairo.

Israel and Hamas keep repeating that they agree with the draft truce presented at the end of May by US President Joe Biden, which is based on an Israeli proposal.

But the Palestinian movement accuses Israel of adding “new conditions” to the draft, which include maintaining its Israeli troops along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange. for the Israeli hostages.

Washington announced it had proposed a new compromise plan in Doha, which Israel accepted, according to Blinken. But Hamas is still insisting that Biden’s original draft be adopted, rejecting the additions which it considers to be “American orders”.

Blinken called again on Monday “to cross the finish line as soon as possible”, saying that “there is a sense of urgency throughout the region” which is now threatened by the spread of the conflict.

Iran and the Shiite Lebanese movement Hezbollah have vowed to respond to the death by Israeli strike in late July of a senior Hezbollah commander, Fouad Shukr, and the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniya in Tehran in a strike blamed on Israel.