Israel has agreed to a 'bridging proposal', US foreign policy chief says

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israel has agreed to a "bridging proposal" in a peace deal he's proposed.

The "bridging proposal" element of the deal would hold up a ceasefire and release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza — but Hamas has yet to agree or respond to it.

Blinken has not said whether the deal addresses the concerns raised by the Islamic militant group that runs Gaza — and neither did he say how it addressed Israel's demands.

Blinken reached the agreement after a 2.5-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day and is expected to travel to Egypt on Tuesday.

Egypt has played a key role along with Qatar and the US in managing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Talks, which have continued for months, previously stalled.

Israel has previously insisted on controlling two strategic corridors inside Gaza, which Hamas has previously refused.

Blinken's ninth mission to the Middle East since the conflict began came days after mediators, including the United States, expressed optimism that a ceasefire deal was near.

“This is a decisive moment, 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,” Blinken said as he opened talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

Herzog thanked Blinken for the Biden administration's support for Israel and lamented a spate of recent attacks against Israelis in the past 24 hours.

“This is the way we are living these days,” Herzog said. “We are surrounded by terrorism from all four corners of the earth and we are fighting back as a resilient and strong nation.”

Late last week, the three countries mediating the