US 'hopeful' Hamas will accept new Gaza truce deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said helium is "hopeful" Hamas volition judge Israel's latest connection for a Gaza truce and hostage merchandise deal.

He called the connection "extraordinarily generous", arsenic a Hamas delegation discussed it with mediators successful Cairo.

After weeks of impasse, a elder Hamas authoritative was quoted arsenic saying it had "no large issues" with the proposal.

It reportedly involves caller wording connected restoring calm meant to fulfill Hamas's request for a imperishable ceasefire.

The Israeli authorities is coming nether increasing unit from its planetary allies and the families of the hostages to hold a deal.

Israel launched a subject run to destruct Hamas successful effect to the group's cross-border onslaught connected confederate Israel connected 7 October, during which astir 1,200 radical were killed and 253 others were taken hostage.

More than 34,480 radical person been killed successful Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.

A woody agreed successful November saw Hamas merchandise 105 of the hostages successful instrumentality for a week-long ceasefire and immoderate 240 Palestinian prisoners successful Israeli jails.

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US person been attempting for weeks to broker a caller statement that would unafraid different intermission successful the warring and the merchandise of the 133 hostages who Israel says are inactive being held, astatine slightest 30 of whom are presumed dead.

Earlier this month, Hamas rejected an Israeli connection for a six-week truce and the merchandise of 40 women, children and aged oregon sick hostages successful speech for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas said it was sticking to its demands for a imperishable ceasefire that would pb to a afloat withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the instrumentality of displaced Palestinians to their homes.

It besides included a willingness to "discuss the constitution of a sustainable ceasefire arsenic portion of the implementation of the 2nd signifier of the deal, which would instrumentality spot aft the merchandise of hostages", the officials said.

Israel's negotiating squad had besides been authorised by the warfare furniture to sermon the merchandise of less than 40 hostages, with 1 time of ceasefire connected connection for each hostage freed, according to the officials.

When asked astir the presumption of the negotiations connected Sunday, an unnamed elder Hamas authoritative told AFP quality bureau that "the ambiance is affirmative unless determination are caller Israeli obstacles".

They added: "There are nary large issues successful the observations and inquiries submitted by Hamas regarding the contents [of the proposal]."

Mr Blinken besides expressed optimism astatine a gathering of the World Economic Forum (WEF) successful Riyadh, which was attended by respective of his European and Arab counterparts.

"Hamas has earlier it a connection that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous, connected the portion of Israel. And successful this moment, the lone happening lasting betwixt the radical of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas," helium said.

"They person to decide, and they person to determine quickly... And I'm hopeful that they volition marque the close decision."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, whose state is simply a mediator successful the Israel-Hamas negotiations on with Qatar, besides said helium was "hopeful".

"The connection has taken into relationship the positions of some sides and has tried to extract moderation," helium said. "There are factors that volition person an interaction connected some sides' decisions, but I anticipation that each volition emergence to the occasion."

Sunday's telephone telephone betwixt US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to person focused connected the negotiations.

They besides discussed the request to prolong a caller summation successful assistance reaching Gaza and continued US absorption to a full-scale violative connected the confederate municipality of Rafah, wherever much than a cardinal displaced radical are sheltering.

Local medics and rescuers said astatine slightest 22 Palestinians were killed successful Israeli aerial strikes connected 3 homes successful Rafah overnight. There was nary contiguous remark connected the reports from the Israeli military.

Over the weekend, determination were further indications from elder Israeli generals that plans were being finalised for a large cognition successful Rafah, wherever the subject says Hamas's remaining battalions and leaders are based.

But Mr Blinken - who is owed to alert from Saudi Arabia to Jordan and Israel - noted that the US had "not yet seen a program that gives america assurance that civilians tin beryllium efficaciously protected".

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - a rival of Hamas who is based successful the occupied West Bank - said connected Sunday that the US was the lone state susceptible of preventing an battle connected Rafah, which helium warned would origin "the biggest catastrophe successful the past of the Palestinian people".

Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said connected Sunday that Israel's subject would "suspend the operation" successful Rafah if a hostage merchandise woody was agreed.

That sentiment was echoed by warfare furniture subordinate Benny Gantz, who said the instrumentality of hostages was of "much greater importance" than entering Rafah.

But far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that if Israel cancelled the Rafah battle past the authorities "would person nary close to exist".