US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Hamas’s newly appointed political chief Yahya Sinwar to accept a Gaza ceasefire, saying the alleged mastermind of the October 7 attack was the crucial decider, AFP reports.

“He has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding the ceasefire. And so I think this only underscores the fact that it is really on him to decide whether to move forward with a ceasefire that manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need,” Blinken told reporters.