Israeli-Hamas Hostage Negotiations Fail

Following the release of a joint statement from the US, Israel, Qatar and Egypt regarding a potential truce between Israel and Hamas, Hamas has announced that although they are open to discussions, more time is required to review the proposal. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan revealed the current proposal includes a six-week pause in fighting, during which some hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, with the potential for extensions. He also accused Israel of attempting to distort Hamas' position on the matter, and said a formal response from Hamas was imminent. The US is pressing for a resolution, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken due to travel to the Middle East again tomorrow.