Blinken reiterates that ball ‘in Hamas’s court’ regarding Gaza truce

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterates Washington’s stance that Hamas is the party holding up a possible six-week ceasefire.

“In this hour, we’re also intensely focused on seeing if we can get a ceasefire with the release of hostages, the expansion of humanitarian assistance and an environment for working on an enduring resolution,” Blinken says in remarks to reporters alongside visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“The issue is whether Hamas will decide or not to have a ceasefire that would benefit everyone. The ball is in their court, we’re working intensely on it, and we’ll see what they do. But there’s no doubt in my mind that getting to this ceasefire with the release of hostages would be a profound benefit to everyone involved,” he says, highlighting the surge in humanitarian aid that a truce would allow.