Kerala will decide the fate of 194 candidates as polling on all 20 parliamentary constituencies will be held in the second phase
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday it was up to Hamas to agree to a ceasefire that would allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and pave the way for talks on an "enduring resolution" to the conflict.
The Palestinian militant group left talks in Cairo aimed at reaching an agreement to pause fighting ahead of Ramadan, amid fears violence could escalate during the holy month.
Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the lack of agreement on a deal that would require Hamas to free some of the hostages it still holds in exchange for a 40-day truce. Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would also be released.
Blinken, ahead of a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, said Washington was still pushing for a ceasefire.
"The issue is Hamas. The issue is whether Hamas will decide or not to have a ceasefire that would benefit everyone," Blinken said.
"The ball is in their court. We're working intensely on it, and we'll see what they do."
Gaza health authorities say more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, in which Israel said 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted.
ALSO READ:
Kerala will decide the fate of 194 candidates as polling on all 20 parliamentary constituencies will be held in the second phase
Aid groups warn any invasion would add to already-catastrophic conditions for Gaza's 2.4 million people
Ten prisoners have been recaptured so far, authorities said
A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted parts of South and Southeast Asia this week
The three-term MP is facing central minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar and CPI leader Pannyan Ravindran at Thiruvananthapuram constituency
The prime minister referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" during a campaign speech
The broadcaster accepts the resignation of Huw Edwards nine months after he became embroiled in a scandal
The Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong has published the list of banned Indian spice variants on its website