US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced confidence that the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza would begin Sunday, after Israel held off on a cabinet vote and accused Hamas of backtracking.
"I am confident, and I fully expect that implementation will begin, as we said, on Sunday," Blinken said at a farewell news conference Thursday.
Blinken said that he and other officials of President Joe Biden's administration, which ends Monday, were on the telephone to try to resolve issues in the ceasefire announced Wednesday through mediator Qatar.
"It's not exactly surprising that in a process, in a negotiation, that has been this challenging and this fraught, you may get a loose end. We're tying up that loose end as we speak," Blinken said.
Blinken also added that he regretted his inability to end the brutal war in Sudan and voiced hope that President-elect Donald Trump's administration will keep trying.
"It is for me, yes, another real regret that when it comes to Sudan, we haven't been able on our watch to get to that day of success," Blinken added.
There have been "some improvements in getting humanitarian assistance in through our diplomacy, but not an end to the conflict, not an end to the abuses, not an end to the suffering of people," he said.
With AFP
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