Blinken in Tel Aviv, warns of "last opportunity" to achieve Gaza ceasefire deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday that the push for a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage release deal has reached a "decisive moment," speaking ahead of a meeting with Israel's president during his Middle East trip.

"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 told reporters before meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

Later, Blinken entered a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is scheduled to meet with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The new deal proposal was presented to Israel over the weekend in a meeting in Doha by Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators.

On Sunday, Netanyahu blamed Hamas for refusing a deal, stating that Israel would not compromise on security issues. Hamas responded with a statement accusing Israel of backtracking on several issues agreed upon in a May deal proposal, including an Israeli demand to maintain forces inside Gaza even after a ceasefire had been achieved.