Blinken, along with fellow mediators from Egypt and Qatar, proposed a deal on Friday that would see the hostages from the Oct. 7 attack released and a cease-fire put in place. U.S. officials said they were confident the agreement would be closed in the coming days, with U.S. President Joe Biden telling reporters “we are closer to a deal than we have ever been.”
Hamas, however, has poured cold water on that assessment, telling the BBC and other outlets that no progress has been made and mediators are “selling illusions.”
Netanyahu’s office said it is cautiously optimistic “that the heavy pressure on Hamas by Washington and the other mediators will remove its opposition to the American proposal and will lead to a breakthrough in the talks.”
The U.S. proposal has not been publicly shared and it’s unclear which aspects Hamas feels it can’t accept. The deal allegedly calls for a three-phase process during which Hamas would release its Oct. 7 hostages and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners, along with withdrawing its forces from Gaza.