Mediation sparks progress on new hostage-ceasefire deal

Israel appears to be inching closer to securing the release of the hostages in Gaza, almost seven months after Hamas’s initial brutal attack.

At the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an extraordinary effort had been made to arrive at a deal. The US has worked alongside main mediators, Egypt and Qatar, to ensure that the hostages are returned.

“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.

“I’m hopeful that they will make the right decision and we can have a fundamental change in the dynamic,” Blinken said.

The current proposal put to Hamas includes a sustained 40-day ceasefire and the release of potentially thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of the Israeli hostages.

Israel has reduced the number of hostages it will accept in the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza from 40 to 33, the New York Times reported, citing three Israeli officials. According to a report, the change was prompted partly by the fact that Israel now believes that some of the 40 have died while in Hamas captivity.

Hamas was reported to have no "major issues" with the most recent truce offer, but an Israeli official warned it is too early for optimism about reaching an agreement.

"We are waiting for a decision from Hamas, which has not yet been made, and it is not clear whether it will accept the proposal or put up obstacles as on previous occasions," the official told Haaretz. The main sticking point is still Hamas’s demand for a complete ceasefire, which Israel opposes.