MOSCOW, July 31 (Bernama-Sputnik) -- The United States will seek for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip despite the death of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, reported Sputnik.
Earlier in the day, the Palestinian movement Hamas confirmed the death of Haniyeh as a result of an Israeli strike on his residence in the Iranian capital. According to the movement, Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli "raid" on his residence in Tehran after his participation in the inauguration ceremony of the new president of Iran.
"Well I have seen the reports. All I can tell is that nothing take away the importance from the way to getting to a ceasefire... I am not going to speculate on what impact anyone of them might have on that, I have learned over many years never really speculate about that because we simply do not know. What I do know is the enduring imperative of getting a ceasefire, and what I do know is we will continue to work at that every day," Blinken told a press conference.
In an interview with Singaporean news channel CNA, Blinken said Washington was "not aware of or involved in" Haniyeh's assassination.
Blinken said it was difficult to predict the consequences of the killing, highlighting the need for a ceasefire and adding that the US "will continue to labour that for as long as it takes to get there".
-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK
