US’s Antony Blinken encourages Hamas to embrace a fresh idea for a Gaza cease-fire ahead of his trip to Israel

As the secretary of state said that Hamas had received a fresh proposal and that its representatives were in Cairo conferring with Egyptian mediators, the United States increased its pressure for a cease-fire agreement in Gaza on Monday. Hospital data indicate that 26 people were killed by Israeli attacks in Rafah, the southernmost town in Gaza.

Ahead of his trip to Israel this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed Hamas to accept the most recent approach, describing it as “extraordinarily generous” on Israel’s behalf.

The conditions remained undisclosed. However, Israel has reportedly changed its stance, reducing the number of captives it wants Hamas to release within the first six weeks of the cease-fire in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians being released from Israeli jails, according to an Egyptian official and Israeli media.

Whether it will be sufficient to allay Hamas’s worries about the second phase of the cease-fire is one issue.

Hamas has requested guarantees that Israel’s almost seven-month-long assault on Gaza would cease completely and that its soldiers will evacuate from the severely damaged region upon the ultimate release of all detainees. Israel has simply proposed a protracted stop, promising to restart its attack when it is over. Throughout months of negotiations, the matter has continually impeded attempts by US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators.

Some Israeli pundits portrayed Israel as facing a decision: pursue plans calling for an attack on Rafah in an effort to destroy Hamas and risk alienating the rest of the world, or pursue a deal that could bring about an end to the war and bring benefits that might include normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.

The US, Israel’s closest ally, and others have cautioned against an attack on Rafah on many occasions, claiming it would deepen a humanitarian crisis and result in a spike in deaths. Over a million Palestinians have fled hostilities elsewhere and taken refuge in Rafah.

In Gaza, Israel’s onslaught has claimed more than 34,000 lives.

Israeli attacks destroyed at least three Palestinian extended families’ houses throughout the course of the night and early Monday morning. Nine mothers and six children—one of whom was just five days old—were among the deceased, according to hospital records and an Associated Press reporter.

Mahmoud Abu Taha, whose cousin was slain together with his wife and their year-old child in a residence where at least ten people perished, said that “everyone was sleeping in their beds.” “They are unrelated to anything at all.”

Egypt has increased its attempts to mediate a cease-fire agreement in an attempt to prevent an attack on Rafah, which is located on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

According to an Egyptian source, Israel has scaled down its expectations for the first round of captive releases from 40. The new number was not specified by him. According to Israeli media, in exchange for the release of almost 900 Palestinian inmates, it now wants the freedom of 33 hostages. It’s estimated that Hamas is housing around 100 Israelis in Gaza.

Speaking under anonymity to discuss the internal negotiations, the Egyptian source said that Israel had also shown flexibility in allowing people to return to the northern part of Gaza.

Neither Israeli authorities nor Hamas responded right away.

Netanyahu has always said that an assault on Rafah is essential to eliminating the terrorists after their October 7 strikes on Israel, which started the battle, and he has resisted ending the war in exchange for the release of hostages. If he accepts an agreement, his administration may be in danger since radical Cabinet members want to assault Rafah.

Families of captives are putting pressure on Netanyahu to make a deal at the same time.

Days after Hamas published a video featuring the men, the families of two captives, Keith Siegel and Omri Miran, pleaded with the parties to come to a compromise on Monday.

“I beg Sinwar to sanction this agreement. Dany Miran, Omri’s father, addressed Yehiya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, saying, “And to the members of the (Israeli) Cabinet, please approve any deal.” He gave a speech at a press conference in a plaza in Tel Aviv where demonstrators in favor of captive families sometimes congregate.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities seemed more and more worried that the country’s leaders would have arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.