Blinken urges Hamas to quickly accept ceasefire deal

STORY: Hamas should swiftly accept Israel's proposal for a truce in Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

"Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous, on the part of Israel. And in this moment, 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 made the comments at a special World Economic Forum meeting in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Negotiators for Palestinian militant group Hamas arrived in Cairo on Monday to meet Qatari and Egyptian mediators about the phased ceasefire proposal Israel presented over the weekend.

A source briefed on the talks said Israel's proposal involved the release of fewer than 40 of the roughly 130

hostages believed to be still held in Gaza.

In exchange Palestinians jailed in Israel would be freed.

The second phase of the truce would consist of a "period of sustained calm" - Israel's compromise response to a Hamas demand for a permanent ceasefire.

Amidst the negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure on multiple fronts.

Israel is voicing concern that the International Criminal Court (ICC) could be preparing to issue arrest warrants for government officials on charges related to the conduct of its war against Hamas.

Gaza health authorities say about 34,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground assault.

The ICC is also investigating Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border attack, which killed about 1,200 Israelis and saw 253 hostages seized, according to Israeli counts.

Netanyahu said on Friday that any ICC decisions would not affect Israel's actions, but would set a dangerous precedent.

Netanyahu is also facing pressure from far-right allies to reject a new Gaza ceasefire, jeopardizing his government's stability.

An offensive in Rafah, which Israel says is the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, has been anticipated for weeks.

But foreign governments and the United Nations have expressed concerns that such action could result in a humanitarian disaster, given around one million displaced people are crammed into the area.

Israeli airstrikes in Rafah on Monday killed more than two dozen people and wounded many others, medics said.