Last night (Tuesday) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met families of American hostages held in Gaza, indicating progress on a potential limited hostage deal.
The meeting took place during Blinken's diplomatic visit to Israel amid tensions with Iran. During the meeting, the Secretary of State revealed, "We are working on a small-scale deal to test who within Hamas has real decision-making power."
The development aligns with recent reports of an Egyptian-brokered initiative that could see some hostages released in exchange for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza. Sources suggest Hamas might be willing to release several hostages in return for a two-week pause in fighting.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew was also present at the meeting. Families of the hostages urged Blinken to increase pressure on mediators, particularly Qatar, where Hamas leadership currently resides. The Hostages' Families Forum specifically asked officials to leverage the current situation, following Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's assassination, to push for negotiations to secure the return of all hostages – both living and deceased.