Ammon News - US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken considered that there was still "place for an agreement" between Israel and Hamas, calling to protect civilians as Israel prepares to launch an attack on Rafah.

Blinken's call came shortly after statements made by occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected Hamas's calls for a ceasefire as part of the detainees' deal brokered by Qatar, and pledged to attack Rafah in the far south of the besieged Gaza Strip.

The response from Hamas on a deal to free the remaining hostages and reach a sustained pause in fighting in Gaza creates space for agreement to be reached, despite containing what he called some clear nonstarters, Blinken said.

“We will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” Blinken said at a news conference in Tel Aviv Wednesday following a day of meetings with top Israeli officials.

The top US diplomat suggested that negotiations toward an agreement would continue, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing the counterproposal from Hamas as “delusional” just hours earlier.

“Israel should open Erez so that assistance can flow to Northern Gaza, where, as I said, hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to survive under dire conditions,” he said.

“And Israel must ensure that the delivery of life-saving assistance to Gaza is not blocked for any reason, by anyone,” the top US diplomat said, appearing to reference ongoing protests that have blocked the entrance of aid.

Behind closed doors, Blinken expressed concerns about the potential toll of a military operation in Rafah, where more than a million people have fled. He was briefed about the plans for that operation in a meeting with Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi and Mossad Chief David Barnea, according to two Israeli officials.

“The hostages are foremost on our minds and in our hearts,” Blinken said earlier in the day in a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

CNN