'The ball is in Hamas' court': US urges militants to accept latest cease-fire plan

USA TODAY: Israel's War Cabinet met Tuesday to discuss the latest U.S. proposal for a cease-fire after Hamas said it was reviewing the plan but accused Israel of remaining "intransigent" and failing to respond to the demands of the Palestinian people.

Hamas wants Israel to withdraw all forces from Gaza and allow displaced people to return to their homes.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the latest proposal "is very serious" and should be accepted by Hamas.

"I think the fact that it continues to not say yes is a reflection of what it really thinks about the people of Gaza, which is not much at all," Blinken said at a news conference in Washington. "The ball is in Hamas' court, the world is watching to see what it does."

The Wall Street Journal, citing officials helping to broker the deal, said the proposal calls for a six-week cease-fire and release of 40 of more than 100 militant-held hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The Journal said 100 of the Palestinians who would be freed are serving long sentences on terrorism-related charges.

But the Journal said gaps remain over key aspects of any potential deal, including how and when Palestinians displaced by the war would be allowed to return to northern Gaza, the identities of the Palestinian prisoners to be released and whether the initial six-week cease-fire could become permanent.

The Israeli military says multiple Hamas battalions remain entrenched in Rafah and must be removed for Hamas to be defeated. Israel has been bombing Rafah for weeks, but President Joe Biden and numerous other world leaders have urged Israel not to invade the city, fearing massive civilian death tolls. Gaza officials say more than 33,000 Palestinians have died since the war began Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants crashed across the Israeli border, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages.

"We are constantly working to achieve our goals, first and foremost the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas," Prime Minister Benjamein Netanyahu said. "This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen − there is a date."