US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to quickly accept an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
Hamas negotiators were expected to meet in Cairo on Monday with mediators from Qatar and Egypt to come up with a response to the phased truce proposal that Israel presented over the weekend.
“Hamas has in front of it an extraordinarily generous proposal from Israel,” Blinken said at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Reuters notes.
“The only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas. They have to decide and they have to decide quickly,” Blinken said. “I hope they will make the right decision,” he added.
A source close to the talks said Israel’s proposal involves an agreement to release fewer than 40 of the roughly 130 hostages believed to still be held in Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
A second phase of the truce would consist of a “period of sustained calm” – Israel’s compromise response to Hamas’ demand for a permanent ceasefire.
The British Foreign Minister, David Cameron, who is also in Riyadh for the meeting of the World Economic Forum, also described the Israeli proposal as “generous”.
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