Blinken urges Hamas to take new ‘generous temporary ceasefire deal’

Palestinian official says ‘things look better this time’ as talks set to begin

Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 29, 2024. Reuters/Hatem Khaled

John Bowden and Nidal al-Mughrabi

The US’s top diplomat called on Hamas leadership to accept what he described as an “extraordinarily generous” temporary peace deal offered by Israel yesterday as he returned to the region and met with the area’s power players.

Antony Blinken was at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as he made the statement and declared “the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas”.