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Israel appears to soften stance in cease-fire talks

A man inspects the damage and removes items from his home following Israeli airstrikes on April 13 in Khan Yunis, Gaza. (Getty Images)
By Patrick Kingsley, Edward Wong, Adam Rasgon and Eric Nagourney New York Times

Israeli negotiators, offering a hint of hope for negotiations over a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, have reduced the number of hostages they want Hamas to release during the first phase of a truce, three Israeli officials said Monday.

For weeks, cease-fire talks have been at a standstill. Now, with the new proposal in hand, a mid-ranking delegation from Israel was planning to fly to Cairo on Tuesday to resume them – but only if Hamas agrees to attend, according to two of the officials. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

Hamas did not respond to a request for comment about whether it would send representatives to Cairo. A senior Hamas official said on social media Monday that the group was studying a new Israeli proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday with Arab diplomats, said the onus was now on Hamas.

“Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel,” Blinken said at an economic forum in Riyadh. “And at the moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a cease-fire is Hamas.”

Speaking at the same forum, British Foreign Minister David Cameron said the offer included a sustained 40-day cease-fire and the release of potentially thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel in exchange for the hostages being held by Hamas.

But other serious obstacles may remain, among them Hamas’ demand for a permanent cease-fire and Israel’s insistence on pursuing its goal of rooting out the militants.

And there was also concern that cease-fire talks might be disrupted if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for senior Israeli government officials on charges related to the conflict with Hamas, as Israeli and foreign officials believe is in the works. The warrants may also name Hamas officials.

Hamas and its allies captured roughly 240 Israelis and foreigners in the deadly Oct. 7 attack that set off the war. During a cease-fire in November, Hamas released 105 captives in exchange for 240 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.

In recent months, Israel has been demanding that Hamas release at least 40 more hostages to secure a new truce. Now it is prepared to settle for only 33, the Israeli officials said.