There was renewed hope for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as the U.S. pushed for an agreement that would head off an assault on Gaza Rafah.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to swiftly accept an Israeli proposal for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal for a six-week truce and the release of 40 women, children and elderly or sick hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestin
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas on Monday to swiftly accept Israel's latest and "extraordinarily generous" proposal for a Gaza truce to secure a release of hostages, amid a diplomatic drive to end the .
Israeli officials appeared increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against the country’s leaders, as international pressure mounts over the war in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first stop in a broader trip to the Middle East to discuss issues including the governance of Gaza once the war with Israel ends.
The White House on Sunday said U.S. President Joe Biden had again spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as pressure builds on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
The proposed deal, put forth in a bid to stave off an invasion of Rafah, would see the release of 20 Israeli hostages over an initial three-week cease-fire.
The White House on Sunday said U.S. President Joe Biden had again spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as pressure builds on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
Hamas released a video Saturday showing two hostages alive as it studied Israel’s latest proposal for a ceasefire, in an apparent bid to increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off a major offensive that would deepen the war in Gaza.
Hamas said it had received on Saturday Israel's official response to its latest ceasefire proposal and will study it before submitting its reply, the group's deputy Gaza chief said in a statement. "Hamas has received today the official response of the Zionist occupation to the proposal presented to the Egyptian and the Qatari mediators on April 13,
Hamas is considering a new framework proposed by Egypt that calls for the group to release as many as 33 hostages kidnapped from Israel in exchange for a pause in hostilities in Gaza, an Israeli source familiar with the negotiations and a foreign diplomatic source told CNN.
Image caption, Local officials said Israel carried out further deadly air strikes overnight in the southern Gaza town of Rafah The US secretary of state hopes Hamas will accept what he has called Israel's "extraordinarily generous" offer for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept the latest ceasefire proposal, which he described as “extraordinarily generous” for them. The U.S. is among a group of countries, including Qatar and Egypt,
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh that Israel has given "a very generous" hostage deal proposal that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept it soon.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged leaders of the Hamas militant group to quickly reach a decision on Israeli conditions for a temporary cease-fire, a move that could help bring an end to fighting in Gaza.
David Cameron urged Hamas to accept a “very generous” ceasefire deal with Israel that will allow for the release of “potentially thousands” of Palestinian prisoners.
Western powers launched a renewed diplomatic push for a ceasefire in Gaza amid growing concerns that the Israel Defense Forces will soon invade the crowded Gazan city of Rafah. Top US and British diplomats met Arab officials in Riyadh on Monday while US President Joe Biden reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening about closing a hostage-release deal with Hamas.
A senior Hamas official told French media on Sunday that the group would deliver its response to Israel's latest counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire on Monday in Egypt. International mediators have stepped up efforts to reach a deal ahead of an Israeli assault on the southern city of Rafah.
We have been here before, but Israel woke up on Sunday to renewed hope that a ceasefire could be brokered with Hamas and the remaining 139 hostages returned.
Diplomatic efforts intensified on Sunday to reach a long sought-after truce and hostage-release deal in Gaza, as Hamas said it would travel to mediator Egypt to deliver its response to
Hamas will respond to the latest proposed deal on the hostages within 48 hours, according to Israeli media. The Hebrew state demanded the release of 33 women, children, the elderly and the sick, while Hamas claimed to have only 20 of them.
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya gave no details of Israel's offer, but said it was in response to a Hamas proposal made two weeks ago. Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week cease-fire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Hamas said Saturday it was studying Israel's latest counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire, a day after media reports said a delegation from mediator Egypt was in Israel trying to jump-start
Egypt proposed that Israel and Hamas agree to truce in which some Israeli hostages would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a three-week cease-fire, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Hamas says it is reviewing a cease-fire plan in Gaza put forth by Israel that Secretary Blinken calls "extraordinarily generous." The ICC weighs charges on leaders of Hamas and the Israeli government for possible crimes against humanity.
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show “more commitment and more seriousness” in cease-fire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.