19 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as Blinken seems to dealer cease-fire deal

Blinken, together with fellow mediators from Egypt and Qatar, proposed a deal on Friday that will see the hostages from the Oct. 7 assault launched and a cease-fire put in place. U.S. officers mentioned they had been assured the settlement could be closed within the coming days, with U.S. President Joe Biden telling reporters “we’re nearer to a deal than we now have ever been.”

Hamas, nonetheless, has poured chilly water on that evaluation, telling the BBC and different shops that no progress has been made and mediators are “promoting illusions.”

Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned it’s cautiously optimistic “that the heavy stress on Hamas by Washington and the opposite mediators will take away its opposition to the American proposal and can result in a breakthrough within the talks.”

The U.S. proposal has not been publicly shared and it is unclear which facets Hamas feels it could possibly’t settle for. The deal allegedly requires a three-phase course of throughout which Hamas would launch its Oct. 7 hostages and Israel would launch Palestinian prisoners, together with withdrawing its forces from Gaza.