Hamas may see an opening in ongoing anti-Israel protests in cities and on college campuses in North America and Europe that, beyond calling for a ceasefire alone, have praised October 7 and embraced Hamas’ ideological commitment to the elimination of Israel. Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, commended the demonstrators last week for “standing on the correct side of history.” 

To the Biden administration, however, the onus to move forward with the deal is squarely on Hamas. Such was Blinken’s main message during his diplomatic blitz through Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Jordan this week, as he urged the terror group to accept Israel’s “extraordinarily generous” offer to halt the fighting. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby made a similar pitch in a press briefing Tuesday: “This is a really good proposal and Hamas ought to jump at it, and time is of the essence.” 

Lazar Berman, a Jerusalem-based analyst and diplomatic correspondent at the Times of Israel, likewise views this latest proposal as Israel’s final offer ahead of a Rafah operation. “What’s clear is that there is unprecedented international pressure and diplomatic weight on Hamas to agree to this deal. It’s also clear that Israel is offering concessions beyond what I would’ve thought possible,” he told The Dispatch. “This is really as far as Israel can go.”