Israel has agreed to withdraw its forces from Gaza within a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Qatar.
After meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken said Israel had accepted the proposal and urged Hamas to do the same.
Blinken was asked about Israeli troop withdrawal terms within the ceasefire framework.
"The United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel. More specifically, the agreement is very clear on the schedule and the locations of withdrawals from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to that," Blinken said.
The Secretary of State noted this is “probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.”
Earlier, Netanyahu said that Israel will not leave the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border and the Netzarim corridor, which bisects Gaza, “regardless of the pressure to do so.”
