Hamas says it has approved a ceasefire proposal in the seven-month-old Gaza war, presented by mediators Qatar and Egypt, although Israel says the proposal does not meet its demands.
“Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, had a telephone call with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence, Mr. Abbas Kamel, and informed them of the “Hamas’ approval for their proposal for a ceasefire agreement,” the Palestinian group said in a statement published on its official website on Monday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the proposed deal did not meet Israel’s demands and that he would send a delegation to meet with negotiators.
“Although Hamas’ proposal falls far short of meeting Israel’s demands, Israel will send a working delegation to the mediators to exhaust possibilities of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel,” he said in a statement. message on X.
The full details of the proposal were not immediately clear.
Three phases
Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas politburo, told Tel Aviv Tribune Arabic that the Qatari-Egyptian proposal includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a return of displaced Palestinians to their homes as well as an exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners. .
The proposal includes a three-stage truce, with each phase lasting 42 days, according to al-Hayya.
Initially, indirect negotiations via mediators would resume on the exchange of captives and prisoners. A withdrawal of some Israeli troops from certain areas would also take place, alongside the unimpeded return of displaced families to their homes and the delivery of aid and fuel to Gaza, he said.
In the second phase, al-Hayya explained, there would be a complete and permanent halt to military activity in Gaza.
The final phase would focus on the start of reconstruction in the post-war Gaza Strip, overseen by Egypt, Qatar and United Nations agencies, he said.
“The ball is now in Israel’s court,” he said.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington would “withhold judgment” on Hamas’ announcement until it had time to fully review it.
“I can confirm that Hamas responded. We are currently reviewing this response and discussing it with our partners in the region,” he said.
“This is something that is a top priority for everyone in this administration, from the president on down,” Miller said.
The Hamas statement was issued after Israeli forces struck sites in the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip after Israel ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate. More than 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in the region.
Later Monday, Israel said its war cabinet had approved the continuation of a military operation in the city.
“The war cabinet unanimously decided that Israel would continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and achieve the other objectives of the war,” he said. Netanyahu’s office said.
Palestinians in Rafah are “optimistic”
Tel Aviv Tribune’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Rafah, said people started partying near the Kuwaiti hospital after hearing Hamas’ announcement.
“Everyone… is happy because they believe that an invasion of Rafah would result in an indescribable humanitarian catastrophe,” Abu Azzoum said. “Now they are so optimistic.”
The announcement brought “a sense of relief and tranquility” among “exhausted and traumatized” Palestinians, he said.
In recent hours, Abu Azzoum said, Israel has intensified its attacks in eastern parts of Rafah.
“We heard big explosions… they attacked farmland,” he said.
According to Abu Azzoum, people have heard that there is a “great general consensus” among Israeli officials on the continuation of the war and military operations in Rafah.
A Palestinian displaced in Rafah told Tel Aviv Tribune he hoped to return home.
“We hope to return home. …I come from Gaza (city) itself,” he said.
Tel Aviv Tribune’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said: “The Israelis have said they will fight the war as they see fit. »
“Whether the United States expresses concern or anger, it makes no difference to how the Israelis fight this war,” Fisher said.
Alon Liel, former director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, told Tel Aviv Tribune that there is “strong pressure” on the Israeli government to send ground troops to Rafah.
“The atmosphere here is very, very different from that in Gaza. Even if we reach an agreement, many people here will be afraid and think we have lost the war,” Liel said.
If Netanyahu accepts the deal, Liel said, it could be “the end of his political career.” And if he doesn’t accept the deal, “we will have international appeals from the UN and…sanctions,” he said.
At least 34,735 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and 78,018 injured in Israel’s attack on Gaza since October, according to Palestinian authorities. The offensive destroyed much of Gaza and a near-total siege pushed parts of it to the brink of famine.
Israel launched the assault after Hamas carried out an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,139 people, according to an Tel Aviv Tribune tally based on Israeli statistics.