US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said the Palestinian group Hamas is the only obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza, AFP reports.

Blinken was speaking at a dinner at the McCain Institute's Sedona Forum in Arizona, two days after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top leaders on his latest visit to the Middle East.

"We're waiting to see if they can, in fact, say yes to a cease-fire and hostage release," Blinken said Friday night. - The reality at the moment is that the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas."

Blinken also pointed to the difficulties in negotiating with Hamas.

"The Hamas leaders that we interact with indirectly - through the Qataris, through the Egyptians - of course, live outside of Gaza," Blinken said. - The final decisions are made by people in Gaza itself, with whom none of us have direct contact."