Top US diplomat Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept a truce in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to send troops into its far southern city of Rafah.
Washington has heightened pressure on all sides to reach a ceasefire \- a message pushed by Blinken, who was on his seventh regional tour since the Gaza war broke out on October 7.
"Even in these very difficult times we are determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home - and to get it now," Blinken said as he met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv. Hamas has conditioned all Israeli troops to withdraw from Gaza.
Hours before Blinken landed in Tel Aviv late Tuesday, far-right Netanyahu fired a shot across his bows, vowing to send Israeli ground troops into Rafah despite US concerns for the safety of the 1.5 million civilians sheltering in the border city.
They were displaced by Israel's ruthless and nearly seven-month bombardment which has killed over 34,400 people in the enclave, mostly women and children. Thousands more are buried beneath the rubble.
