U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday the United States and Saudi Arabia's bilateral work linked to normalization with Israel is "potentially very close to completion."
During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Blinken said the parties have done intensive work together over the last month toward Israeli-Saudi normalization.
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Reuters, EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / POOL / AFP, Alex Kolomoisky)
Blinken also said Hamas "needs to decide and it needs to decide quickly" on the "extraordinarily generous" proposal presented by Egypt for a cease-fire in Gaza and an agreement for the return of Israeli hostages. He said he was hopeful Hamas would "make the right decision."
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said that cease-fire talks were progressing as he joined Blinken in Saudi Arabia. Sejourne is expected to hold talks in Riyadh with ministers of Arab and other Western countries, as well as Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas
"Things are moving forward but you always have to be careful in these discussions and negotiations. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic and we need a cease-fire," Sejourne told Reuters on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting.
"We will discuss the hostages, humanitarian situation and the cease-fire. Things are progressing, but we must always remain prudent in these discussions and negotiations," he said. The trip comes as Egypt was expected to host leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas to discuss prospects for a cease-fire agreement with Israel.
Meanwhile, as hostage talks keep stalling, Israel was reportedly amassing forces along its southern border with the Palestinian enclave ahead of its long-delayed ground offensive in the southern Gazan city of Rafah where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering from fighting elsewhere in the territory.
However, Washington's top diplomat noted that he had not yet seen a plan from Israel on a Rafah offensive that would protect civilians.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians reported that at least 25 people were killed in a series of Israeli strikes on Rafah on Monday.