WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Wednesday families of hostages held by Hamas joined lawmakers on Capitol Hill pleading for their release, however a ceasefire to allow their loved ones to be released fell through just hours later.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the latest proposal from Hamas to pause the fighting.
Netanyahu has vowed to continue its military campaign in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated. He called their demands “delusional.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken who returned to Israel to help negotiate a truce says the U.S. remains determined to broker a deal to get all hostages out and humanitarian aid into Gaza. He also says the U.S. is committed to a two-state solution.
“We believe the space is there and we believe that we should pursue it, says Blinken. “If we can get to an agreement and that’s what we intend to do.”
Republican and Democrat lawmakers who met with hostage families say it may be time to ratchet up the pressure on other countries in the region.
“Countries that all have an interest in remaining a friend of the United States and being considered one and there are various levers that can be pulled,” says Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla).
The hostages have been held since the October 7th attack by Hamas. The Palestinian death toll has reached more than 27,000 in the four months since the war started.
