Blinken Says Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal 'Very Close'

Paris: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said that a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is “very close” and he hopes “we can get it over the line” before handing over US diplomacy to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“In area after area, we're handing off, in some cases, things that we haven't been able to complete but that create real opportunities to move things forward in a better way,” he said on a stop in Paris for meetings.

Blinken said that even if the Biden administration's plans for a ceasefire and hostage deal don't come to fruition before Trump's inauguration, he thinks they'll be put into practice afterward.

“I believe that when we get that deal - and we'll get that deal - it will be on the basis of the plans that President Biden put before the world,” he said.