Israeli strikes in Gaza claim 19 lives while Blinken attempts to mediate a cease-fire agreement.
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Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip throughout the night killed at least 19, escalating tensions ahead of Sunday's visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is expected to intensify efforts to mediate a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The most recent visit to the Middle East by the top American diplomat occurred a few days after the United States made a "bridging proposal" aimed at resolving the primary issues that still separate Israel and Hamas. During his visit, Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as other Israeli authorities.
A woman and her six children were killed when an Israeli military strike occurred overnight in the central Gazan town of Deir al-Balah, according to the Associated Press. On August 10, a hit that killed a man's wife and three-day-old twins while he was going to register their birth took place in the town.
Blinken and other mediators from Qatar and Egypt put forth a proposal on Friday to end hostilities and establish a cease-fire that would free the captives taken during the Oct. 7 attack. "We are closer to a deal than we have ever been," U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters as he expressed confidence that the agreement would be finalized in the next few days. But Hamas has shot down that judgment, saying the other media that negotiators are "selling illusions" and that no advance has been achieved.
A cautious optimism prevails, according to Netanyahu's administration, "that a great deal of stress on Hamas by Washington and the other arbitrators will get rid of its opposition to the American proposal and contribute to a compromise in the talks."
It is unknown which parts of the US proposal Hamas believes it cannot accept, given it has not been made public. The agreement purports to provide a three-phase procedure in which Israel would free Palestinian captives and release its forces from Gaza, while Hamas would release its hostages on October 7.
