<b>Live updates: Follow the latest on </b><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/01/16/live-gaza-ceasefire-israel-hamas/" target="_self"><b>Israel-Gaza</b></a> A journalist was forcibly removed from a press conference in Washington on Thursday as he berated outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the country's policy on <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/01/17/live-gaza-ceasefire-israel-cabinet-vote/" target="_blank">Gaza</a>. It was the second interruption during <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/antony-blinken/" target="_blank">Mr Blinken</a>'s final briefing before he leaves office next week. "Criminal - why aren't you in The Hague?" Sam Husseini, a long-time critic of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025/01/16/biden-gaza-ceasfire-hostage-deal-trump/" target="_blank">Washington</a>'s foreign policy, shouted as he was escorted from the room. The International Criminal Court is in The Hague. The independent journalist accused security personnel of hurting him as he was removed. He said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller refused to answer his questions. A <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/01/17/how-israeli-political-wrangling-hindered-gaza-ceasefire-approval/" target="_blank">Gaza ceasefire deal</a> was announced on Wednesday by Qatari mediators, but a day later Israel accused Hamas of orchestrating a "last-minute crisis" by reneging on some "understandings". Hamas said it was committed to the agreement. Mr Miller told <i>The National</i> in a separate briefing on Wednesday that Israel had not been the "intransigent party" responsible for holding up the ceasefire deal and accused Hamas of being unco-operative. "It has been Hamas, fundamentally, that has been unwilling to agree to a deal, and at times was even unwilling to negotiate," Mr Miller added<i>.</i> Israel's security cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to vote on whether to approve the deal. Israel's war on Gaza is likely to define the foreign policy legacy of the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden, despite Washington helping to mediate the ceasefire deal, which will include an exchange of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/01/17/gaza-hostage-deal-hamas/" target="_blank">hostages</a> and Palestinian detainees. Mr Blinken has faced criticism over the US giving weapons and diplomatic support to Israel during the conflict. More than 46,700 Palestinians have been <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/01/16/gaza-ceasefire-israel-war-rebuild/" target="_blank">killed</a> in the enclave, health authorities said, while Israel has also faced accusations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The country denies the allegations.