The best and last chance..

Blinken makes bid for peace

- CHRIS HUGHES

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel and Hamas to broker peace but warned negotiators that they are running out of time.

In his ninth crisis mission to the Middle East, Mr Blinken insisted a peace accord would bring the hostages home and ease the horror suffered by Palestinians.

Speaking yesterday, he said: "This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security."

But his latest trip to Israel came as Hamas rejected US claims an agreement was close and as Israel insisted there are points on which it will not compromise.

Mr Blinken spoke with Israeli leaders days before talks in Cairo will take place and as the Middle East is bracing for a wider conflict.

In a veiled reference to Iran, he said: "It's time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process.