Hamas has accepted a ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group’s chief, Khalil al-Hayya, announced on Saturday.
“Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and Qatar. We dealt with it positively and accepted it,” Hayya said in a televised speech, adding, “We hope that the (Israeli) occupation will not undermine (it).” Hayya leads Hamas’ negotiating team in indirect talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war in Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Security sources told Reuters on Thursday that Egypt had received positive indications from Israel regarding the ceasefire proposal, which includes a transitional phase. According to the sources, the plan suggests Hamas release five Israeli hostages per week.
The Israeli prime minister’s office stated that it had conducted consultations on the mediators’ proposal and had conveyed a counter-proposal in full coordination with the United States. However, it did not confirm whether Israel had accepted the ceasefire terms.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19 after 15 months of war, involved a temporary halt to fighting, the release of some Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase of the three-phase deal is intended to secure the release of remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas has insisted that any proposal must ensure the launch of the second phase, while Israel has offered to extend the initial 42-day phase.
In response to Israeli and US demands for Hamas to disarm, Hayya said the group’s weapons were a red line, declaring that Hamas “would not disarm as long as the ‘Israeli’ occupation exists.” Both Israel and the US maintain that Hamas should have no role in post-war governance in Gaza.
Despite ceasefire negotiations, Israeli military operations in Gaza continued on Saturday, with at least 20 Palestinians killed in strikes across the enclave, according to health authorities. The Israeli military stated that it had initiated “ground activity” in the Jneina neighbourhood of Rafah, aiming to expand a security zone in southern Gaza.
On March 18, Israel resumed airstrikes and ground operations, citing the need to increase pressure on Hamas for hostage releases. Tens of thousands of residents in northern and southern Gaza have since been ordered to evacuate as Israel claims rocket fire into its territories continues.
According to Palestinian officials, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive. The conflict erupted after thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
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