US says 90% Gaza ceasefire deal agreed between Hamas and Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that 90 percent of a Gaza ceasefire deal has been agreed upon, but a few critical issues remain unresolved between Hamas and Israel.

The “critical issues” highlighted by Blinken include the so-called Philadelphi corridor along the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt.

The exchange of hostages and prisoners also remains a point of contention in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Blinken mentioned that the US is prepared to offer further options through Egypt and Qatar to help reach a consensus and finalize the agreement.

“I expect in the coming days, we will share our thoughts with Israel, and they (Qatar and Egypt) will do the same with Hamas. The three of us will work together to resolve the remaining outstanding questions,” he said during a press conference on Thursday.

“It’s really incumbent on both parties to agree on these remaining issues,” Blinken added.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contradicted Blinken’s claim that 90 percent of the ceasefire deal was completed.

“It’s not close,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday.

On the other hand, the Israeli Prime Minister refused to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor, a strategic site along the border of Egypt and Gaza, which has halted the chances of finalising a permanent ceasefire in the war-torn region.

Earlier, Netanyahu appeared on a TV show where he showed a map to outline his strategy to continue the military assault on the Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas fighters from using tunnels.

However, the map did not show the West Bank; instead, it presented the territory as integrated into Israel, sparking outrage over Israeli war designs.

Despite the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to cease military operations in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has intensified its attacks on the enclave while simultaneously imposing an aid blockade on the starving Palestinians.

The overall Palestinian death toll since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached at least 40, 800 with more than 93,534 wounded. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.