• Proposal includes release of thousands of Palestinians
• US, Egyptian presidents discuss ceasefire talks over the phone

RIYADH: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to swiftly accept an Israeli proposal for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli prisoners held by the Palestinian group.

After meeting in Cairo, the Hamas delegation left Egypt and returned to Qatar “to discuss the ideas and the proposal… and we are keen to respond as quickly as possible,” a Hamas source close to the talks told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call on Monday from US President Joe Biden to discuss the latest developments in negotiations regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and the dangers of a military escalation in Rafah, a statement from Egypt’s presidency said.

The spokesman said the call also touched on the exchange of Israeli prisoners for Palestinian ones, a main sticking point in any comprehensive ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

“Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel,” Blinken said at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh. A source briefed on the talks said Israel’s proposal entailed a deal for the release of fewer than 40 of the roughly 130 prisoners believed to be still held in Gaza in exchange for freeing Palestinians jailed in Israel.

A second phase of a truce would consist of a “period of sustained calm” — Israel’s compromise response to a Hamas demand for a permanent ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Israel is voicing concern that the International Criminal Court (ICC) could be preparing to issue ar rest warrants for government officials on charges related to the conduct of its war against Hamas.

In response to Israeli media reports that the ICC might soon issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli government and military officials, Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday warned Israeli embassies to bolster their security because of the risk of a “wave of severe antisemitism”.

“We expect the court (ICC) to refrain from issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli political and security officials,” Katz said. “We won’t bow our heads or be deterred and will continue to fight.”

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024