TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether the latest draft had addressed concerns cited by the militant group. Blinken spoke after holding a 2 1/2 hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, and was expected to travel to Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday. Blinken did not say whether the latest proposal addressed Israel’s demands for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza, which Hamas has said is a nonstarter, or other issues that have long bedeviled the negotiations.
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