US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his belief that the agreed cease-fire in the Gaza Strip will take effect from Sunday – as it was agreed on Wednesday. He was reacting to Thursday’s decision by the Israeli security cabinet, which postponed the vote on its official approval. At the same time, he accused the militant movement Hamas of trying to back out of the agreement, reports TASR according to the AFP agency.
The outgoing minister stated this at his final press conference in office. He will leave the ministry on January 20, when the former US president Donald Trump will be inaugurated.
“I am convinced and I fully expect that the implementation (of the agreement) will begin, as we said, on Sunday,” declared Blinken.
They continue to discuss other matters
The minister also disclosed that he and other officials of President Joe Biden’s administration have been on the phone with several actors to try to resolve the newly emerging disagreements. “It is not surprising that in the process, in the negotiations, which have been so difficult and so tense, there may not be a complete resolution of all matters. At this very moment, we are working to solve them,” said the head of American diplomacy.
Blinken also touched on other topics at the press conference. He particularly expressed regret over the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which, despite the efforts of the US Department of Foreign Affairs under his leadership, could not be stopped. But Blinken hopes the Trump administration will keep trying.
The outgoing head of US diplomacy is also convinced that the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), which is at war with the Sudanese army, is committing genocide in the country. Blinken, who led the U.S. State Department during the entire four-year term of President Joe Biden, will be replaced by Florida Senator Marco Rubio after Senate confirmation.l
