US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Israel had achieved its primary goal of destroying Hamas, and it was in its interest to find a way out of the Gaza Strip, while Germany and Britain called for a ceasefire in the Strip.

Blinken stressed that his country rejects Israel's occupation of Gaza, because it will encourage the remnants of Hamas to continue fighting, according to him.

Blinken said on Wednesday that he was still optimistic that a ceasefire could be reached in the Gaza Strip during the remaining days of President Joe Biden's term, refusing to make any speculation about the possibility of success of negotiation efforts after Washington had failed to do so over the past 14 months.

"I'm optimistic. You should be. We're going to use every minute of every day of every week that we have left to try to get this done," said Blinken, who will leave office when Biden's term ends on Jan. 20.

On the other hand, the US Secretary of State stressed that the continued presence of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip indefinitely is not in Israel's interest.

He said that if the Israelis decided to stay in the Strip, "they will have to face an insurgency for many years, and this is not in their interest."

Negotiations are approaching their goal

In turn, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the negotiations were close to their goal.

Sullivan confirmed during an interview with the American network "MSNBC" that the negotiations on Gaza are close to their goal, and that with the pressure of the mediators and the commitment of Israel and Hamas, this can be achieved.

The US National Security Advisor said that the obstacles to reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza relate to the details, determining the names of the hostages and prisoners who will be released, and the distribution of Israeli forces in the Strip during the ceasefire.

Sullivan added that these obstacles could be overcome if Hamas was willing to agree to conclude this deal.

European calls for ceasefire

In Europe, the German Foreign Ministry said that Germany explicitly supports the mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas carried out by its partners in Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and that it rejects the displacement of Palestinians or the reduction of their lands.

She added in statements to Al Jazeera that Gaza should not pose a threat to Israel in the future, but she also rejects "Gaza being occupied or resettled in the long term."

She said there was a need for a ceasefire, delivery of aid to Gaza and the release of hostages, stressing that she did not accept imposing a political solution on the Palestinians that exceeded their will.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that there is a need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and that intensive discussions are underway to achieve this.

He added that the release of the hostages must be secured in order to reach a ceasefire, and then aid must be allowed into Gaza.

He stressed that the only long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the two-state solution.

Regarding the situation in the West Bank, he said it should be dealt with in accordance with international law.

Israeli leaks

On the other hand, the Jerusalem Post quoted informed diplomats as saying that there are many obstacles still obstructing the negotiations, and that an exchange deal between Israel and Hamas is not imminent.

They stressed that there are still many obstacles hindering the ceasefire negotiations.

Meanwhile, CNN quoted an informed diplomatic source as saying that the terms of the prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza are generally consistent with the proposal made by US President Joe Biden earlier this year.

What has changed, the source added, is that Israeli forces are likely to remain in Gaza temporarily in both the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor.