The next 72 hours will be crucial to see which direction Israel goes in its war with Hamas. Either Hamas will agree to an extended ceasefire and a release of hostages or Israel is poised to begin its invasion of Rafah, the last terrorist stronghold of Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel Tuesday as part of his latest Middle East trip. During Blinken's time in Israel, Netanyahu announced that the Rafah invasion will occur "with or without a deal," as the ceasefire talks continue.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Blinken put the burden on Hamas to accept what he said was an extraordinary offer by Israel. Jerusalem has reportedly reduced the number of hostages to be released to just thirty-three.

"Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous, on the part of Israel. And in this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas," Blinken said.

Hamas claims to be reviewing the proposal. For months, Hamas has demanded an end to the war and the pullout of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. 

Without a ceasefire, Israel is poised to enter Rafah and potentially finish the war. But Blinken indicated the U.S. won't support a major military operation in Rafah without guaranteeing the safety of the Gazans in the city.   

Rafah is key since it holds the last remaining Hamas battalions, their top leaders, and the strategic tunnels on the Egyptian border. Those tunnels are the lifeline where Hamas gets resupplied with arms and weapons.     

Another key reason Israel is so focused on Rafah is that it's believed that most if not all of the hostages are being held captive there.