WASHINGTON — During his final public speech as secretary of state, Antony Blinken said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is closer than it has ever been before. 

What You Need To Know

  • Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is closer than it has ever been before

  • “It’s right on the brink,” he said during a talk to the Atlantic Council think tank

  • His speech was interrupted by three separate hecklers who called him a "monster" and "bloody Blinken"

  • More than 46,000 Palestinians and more than 1,700 Israelis have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas first attacked Israel

“It’s right on the brink,” he said during a talk to the Atlantic Council think tank, where he was interrupted by three separate pro-Palestinian hecklers calling him a “monster” and “bloody Blinken.” More than 46,000 Palestinians and more than 1,700 Israelis have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas first attacked Israel.

“As we sit here, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance,” Blinken said of a deal to free the remaining hostages whom the group has held for 465 days, to end Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip and to surge humanitarian aid to Palestinians. 

First proposed in May, the ceasefire deal could happen before President Joe Biden leaves office or after Trump is inaugurated. While the timing is unclear, Blinken said the ceasefire deal is “on the brink” and is “ready to be fully and finally accepted and implemented.”

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks told The Associated Press.