The United States sees a new opportunity to revive cease-fire efforts after the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces in Rafah, Gaza last week. That would not have happened if Prime Minister Netanyahu had given in to President Biden's warning to Israel not to attack any targets in that city.
Meanwhile, Egypt has suggested the possibility of a short pause in fighting in which Hamas would release a handful of hostages and humanitarian aid deliveries would be ramped up, especially in northern Gaza, an Egyptian official told The Associated Press.
The official, who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Egypt and fellow mediator Qatar had discussed the idea with the United States but it was not yet a firm proposal. The official said Israel and Hamas were aware of those discussions.
A senior State Department official confirmed that a proposal for a limited hostage release has been discussed in recent days but that no determination had been made, even after Blinken's meetings with Israeli officials and families of the hostages on Tuesday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel or Hamas. The terrorist group has rejected such ideas in the past, saying it is intent on securing an end to the war. It is still holding around 100 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.
