US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel as early as Sunday to work on promoting talks on a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza Strip during his visit.
Reuters news agency reported Blinken is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Israel’s prime minister’s office posted on social media on Saturday that Netanyahu received a report from the negotiating team. And it says, “The team expressed to the Prime Minister cautious optimism regarding the possibility of progress on the deal, in accordance with the updated American proposal.”
US President Joe Biden told US reporters, “we are closer than we’ve ever been.”
But Hamas has expressed distrust of Israel and the United States, saying that Israel is adding new conditions.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued bombing on Saturday in Gaza.
Reuters news agency reported that at least 17 people were killed and dozens others were injured in the central Gaza air raids on Saturday.