Blinken urges Hamas to accept cease-fire proposal as he meets with Israeli leaders

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken , left, meets with Israel i President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel Wednesday, May 1, 2024. with Israel , saying the "time is now" for an agreement that would free hostages and pause the nearly seven months of war in Gaza .

In public, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has staunchly rejected stopping the war before Hamas is destroyed. In a sign of the challenges in the negotiations, Netanyahu in his talks with Blinken on Wednesday repeated his vow to launch the offensive on Rafah, which he says is Hamas' last stronghold in Gaza.

Blinken said the deal would also allow much needed food, medicine and water to get into Gaza, where the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushed northern Gaza to the brink of famine and driven around 80% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. The United States has staunchly supported Israel's campaign of bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza since Hamas' unprecedented attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel. But the U.S. has grown increasingly critical of the staggering toll borne by Palestinian civilians and has been outspoken against a move on Rafah. American officials say they oppose a major offensive but that if Israel conducts one, it must first evacuate civilians.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Hamas is believed to still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Hamas Cease-Fire Israel Gaza Rafah Proposal Netanyahu

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