The U.S. top diplomat said that Doha and Cairo are engaged in talks to bridge views with Hamas regarding US President Biden’s ceasefire proposal.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Qatar and Egypt are actively facilitating discussions with Hamas regarding the Washington-backed ceasefire proposal.

On his eighth regional tour last week since October 7, Blinken blamed Hamas for the delay in accepting the agreement. He also claimed that Israel had already accepted the proposal, despite no official confirmation as well as conflicting statements by Israeli officials on the matter.

On Tuesday, a State Department spokesperson announced that the United States is working alongside the governments of Egypt and Israel to help expedite the reopening of the Rafah crossing. The border crossing was occupied by Israeli soldiers on May 6, and subsequently burned down.

The spokesperson said that the US is also reportedly engaging with Israeli authorities in order to ensure the passage of relief workers to and from the Gaza Strip via the Karam Abu Salem (or Kerem Shalom) crossing.

Last month, US President Joe Biden presented the truce proposal, which entailed a three-phased plan that would pave the way for a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

However, Israeli forces have maintained intensive airstrikes and artillery bombardments across the blockaded territory, leading to significant destruction and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis.

The eight-month war, widely referred to as a genocide, has displaced more than 90 percent of Gaza’s population, with civilian casualties mounting due to ongoing relentless attacks.

At least 37,372 people have been killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, with 85,452 others injured.

Netanyahu slams Biden over alleged arms obstruction

In recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has increasingly criticised the Biden administration, claiming the U.S. is blocking weapons shipments to Israel.

“I told Secretary Blinken it’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday.

His comments prompted confusion and frustration in Washington, a staunch ally to Israel, as Biden administration officials scrambled for a response.

“We genuinely do not know what he’s talking about,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily press briefing. “We just don’t.”

Despite growing pressure from members of his own party to cease military support for Israel, Biden utilised emergency powers twice in December to circumvent congressional review and expedite arms deliveries to Israel.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip, targeting the Nuseirat refugee camp with at least five airstrikes overnight.

At least seven people were also killed in Al-Mawasi, an Israeli-designated “safe zone” west of Rafah, after heavy artillery and airstrikes targeted their tents.

Just a few weeks prior, an attack in the same area killed at least 40 people.