U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas on Monday to promptly accept Israel's recent and notably generous proposal for a Gaza ceasefire to facilitate the release of hostages. This call comes amidst ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Hamas negotiators were anticipated to convene with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Monday to provide a response to Israel's phased truce proposal, which was presented over the weekend. This comes ahead of potential Israeli action targeting the southern border city of Rafah.
