Embracing hostage families, Blinken urges Hamas to accept ‘very strong’ deal

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken urges Hamas to accept ceasefire-for-hostages offer, prioritizing reunification of families in Tel Aviv.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Hamas on May 1 to accept a "very strong" ceasefire-for-hostages offer as he vowed to put a priority on families seeking to reunite with loved ones.

In rare scenes for the top U.S. diplomat, who has faced furore at home and abroad over President Joe Biden's support for Israel in its campaign against Hamas, Mr. Blinken was greeted outside his Tel Aviv hotel by Israelis waving U.S. flags and chanting, "Thank you, Biden! Thank you, Blinken!"

Mr. Blinken, who also met privately with hostage families, told them that freeing the hostages seized by militants on October 7 was "at the heart of everything we're trying to do".

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"There is a very strong proposal on the table right now. Hamas needs to say yes, and needs to get this done," Mr. Blinken told the protesters, many of whom chanted for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the war.

"We will not rest until everyone — men, women, soldier, civilian, young, old — is back home," he said.

Following a meeting with Mr. Blinken, Israel's Opposition leader Yair Lapid insisted that Mr. Netanyahu "does not have any political excuse not to move to a deal for the release of the hostages".