US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday criticized the fact that Hamas once again rejected a temporary truce in the Gaza Strip during talks with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelati, while calling on Israel to increase the amount of humanitarian aid it provides. distributed to civilians in the besieged and devastated Palestinian enclave during a separate conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallad, according to his services.

A Hamas official said on Friday that the Palestinian Islamist movement refuses to even consider a proposal for a short-term truce in the Gaza Strip drawn up by countries mediating indirect negotiations with Israel, since it does not meet its demand for a permanent ceasefire to be declared. .

During his telephone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelati, Mr. Blinken “noted that Hamas has once again refused to release even a limited number of civilians to ensure a ceasefire and relief for the population in Gaza,” according to in a bulletin released by his services at the State Department.

He insisted that it was “important to end the war in Gaza”, to have “guarantees for the release of all hostages” and to “increase and maintain humanitarian aid”, the text added.

Mr Blinken traveled to the Middle East after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Shinwar, trying — without success — to boost indirect talks to agree a ceasefire in the war that erupted in an unprecedented offensive by the Palestinian Islamist movement in the southern part of the Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.

He also spoke by phone with Ron Dermer, one of the most important advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Washington is trying to draw up a plan for the post-war situation in the Gaza Strip that would allow Israel to declare an end to the war, even if no negotiated settlement has been agreed.

In a separate conversation with Israel’s Defense Minister Gallad, the head of US diplomacy called on his interlocutor to take steps to increase the amount of humanitarian aid reaching civilians in the Gaza Strip, according to another press release, released by his agent Matthew Miller. Mr Blinken “called for further action” to “increase and maintain a high level of humanitarian assistance (…) across Gaza,” according to the text.

At the same time, American diplomacy seeks to conclude a cease-fire agreement in Lebanon, to end the Israeli attack on the Shiite Hezbollah movement.