US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said an agreement to return hostages from Gaza remained possible and called for protecting civilians as Israel prepares military action in packed Rafah, AFP reports.

Blinken’s call for moderation put a brave face on remarks shortly beforehand by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected Hamas calls for a ceasefire as part of the Qatari-brokered hostage deal and vowed military action in Rafah.

“While there are some clear non-starters in Hamas’s response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv hours after meeting Netanyahu.

Asked about Netanyahu’s rejection, Blinken said he is “not going to speak for Israel” but that the Hamas counter-proposal at least offered an opportunity “to pursue negotiations” on hostages.