ISRAEL: RTRS-Hamas Accepts UN Ceasefire Deal; Blinken Talks Up Israel Backing

Wires carrying comments from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken following his talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the evening of 10 June. Says that "It is on Hamas to move forward with [peace] proposal or not". Says that Netanyahu "reaffirmed his commitment to the proposal" last night. Conversations on "day after" plans will continue over the coming days, says that it is "imperative" that these plans are compiled. 

• Reuters reports a Hamas official saying that the group accepts the UN ceasefire resolution, and is ready to negotiate over the details. Blinken says the Hamas statement regarding the UN proposal is "a hopeful sign." Says "the word coming from Hamas leadership in Gaza is what counts and what they are waiting to see".
• A resolution on the US-proposed three-phase ceasefire plan was approved in a 14-1 vote in the UN Security Council on 10 June, with only Russia abstaining. 
• Blinken: "The longer this goes on, the more chance there is for the conflict to spread."
• The commitment from both Israel and Hamas is, to date, the clearest sign of a path to an eventual ceasefire deal that could see an end to hostilities in Gaza. 
• There is still a long way to go before a lasting peace can be implemented. Ultranationalists in the Israeli gov't are still intent on destroying Hamas, while Hamas continues to hold numerous Israeli hostages and engage in firefights and rocket fire against the IDF.