Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to accept a US bridging proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal after what he said was a "very constructive" meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He had earlier said the latest push for a deal was probably the best and possibly last opportunity, urging both sides towards agreement.
Talks in Qatar last week paused without a breakthrough, but the negotiations are expected to resume this week based on the US proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas.
However, with the Palestinian Islamist group announcing a resumption of suicide bombing inside Israel after many years, and medics saying Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Monday, there are few signs of conciliation on the ground.
"In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal - that he supports it," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.
