The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed “Israel’s” agreement to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed to me Israel's approval of the proposed deal,” Blinken told Al-Jazeera while on a trip to Qatar as part of his 8th regional tour since the events of Oct. 7, 2023.

Also Read: US will present “concrete ideas” on post-war Gaza: Blinken

“The current deal proposal is the quickest and most effective way to achieve a permanent ceasefire,” he added.

“The proposed deal ends the war and opens up numerous possibilities regarding the goal we aim to achieve.”

Yesterday, Hamas submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators regarding the ceasefire proposal laid out by Biden at an earlier time.

Hamas’ response includes amendments to the proposal, which include a complete withdrawal of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) from the Gaza Strip, including the Rafah Border Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor.

“The response Hamas provided to the mediators yesterday was not the approval we were anticipating as it did not say yes,” Blinken said.

“There are gaps in the positions of both parties that can be bridged, but that does not mean they will be [bridged].”

Also Read: Hamas responds to Blinken’s statements

Blinken claimed that a deal could have been reached 12 days ago, but did not manifest as Hamas did not give its approval.