Blinken 'Angry' Over Israel-Hamas Leaks, Orders to Quell Information Outflow - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his top staff that he was "angry" because of numerous leaks in the media concerning the United States’ diplomacy in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas and urged diplomats to quell them, the Politico newspaper has reported, citing three State Department officials.

Blinken believes that the leaks bring new complications to the Israel-Hamas negotiations on ceasefire and the release of hostages, and undermine trust within the US State Department itself, the newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Jewish state and Hamas have been negotiating the ceasefire deal, proposed by Egypt and Qarar, for several weeks. The proposal provided for three stages of 42 days, during which a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners were expected to be concluded. In early May, Politico reported, citing sources, that the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo had been suspended, including due to Israel's military operations in the city of Rafah.

Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked the Jewish state on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting some 240 others. Over 35,400 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.