With the United States and Israel insisting that the fate of the Gaza ceasefire lies in the hands of Hamas, the leader of the group’s political wing said on Thursday they were studying Israel’s latest proposal in the “spirit of positive” and will soon return to direct negotiations.
The proposal, after nearly seven months of brutal war, includes the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and the return of civilians to Gaza’s populous northern region. It will also allow for increased aid delivery to the territory.
On Thursday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told an Egyptian official that his group was considering the proposal. According to a statement from the Hamas group, a Hamas delegation will soon travel to Egypt to “finalize ongoing discussions” on an agreement “to implement the demands of our people and end the terrorist act.” aggressive”.
Less than a day earlier, Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said on Lebanese television that “our position on the current negotiating text is negative.” But the Hamas press office later said his comments were not a complete rejection. The office said some changes needed to be made for Hamas to agree, without further explanation.
In Israel, the war cabinet is scheduled to meet on Thursday evening to discuss ceasefire negotiations and Israel’s plan to invade Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where about a million people are staying. hidden, according to an Israeli official’s request. anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the media about the matter.
During his visit to Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken placed the onus squarely on Hamas to accept Israel’s proposal. “We are determined to get a ceasefire to bring the hostages home and do it now, and the only reason it won’t be achieved is because of Hamas,” he said.
However, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “no political reason” not to quickly reach an agreement.
The complex negotiations have dragged on for months, with each part of the deal being moved also changing several others. Further complicating matters is that Israel and the United States do not speak directly to Hamas, which they consider a terrorist organization, but rather communicate through Qatari and Egyptian officials who act as intermediaries.
One sticking point that seems difficult to resolve is Israel’s planned ground attack on Rafah. “If the enemy carries out operation Rafah, the negotiations will stop,” Mr. Hamdan said on Wednesday. “Resistance is non-negotiable under fire.”
The Biden administration has put strong pressure on the Israeli government to abandon the idea of launching a major invasion of the city and instead rely on surgical operations to kill or capture leaders and fighters Hamas.
But Israeli officials have said consistently and unequivocally that the attack will take place. Far-right parties in Netanyahu’s coalition have hinted at leaving the coalition if he calls off the offensive, which could cause the government to collapse and force new elections.
“We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without an agreement – to achieve total victory,” Netanyahu said in a statement released on Tuesday. .
Hamas insists that any agreement must be a permanent ceasefire, not a pause in fighting – a position Israel has rejected, saying Hamas is playing for time to reestablish itself. itself as a governing and military force. The Biden administration has held out hope that a six-week pause in the war could be the first step toward a lasting end to the fighting.
Israel this week softened some of its stance. It agreed to allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza in large numbers during the first phase of the ceasefire. Israel has previously insisted on screening returnees and restricting their flow.
Israel also refused to demand that Hamas release 40 hostages – civilians and female soldiers as well as those who are sick or elderly – after Hamas pointed out that it did not have 40 living hostages from those groups. The latest proposal lowers the number to 33. The number of Palestinians Israel offers to release in exchange remains unclear.
According to the Israeli government, during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, approximately 250 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. More than 100 people were released during a week-long ceasefire in November, and Israeli officials said they believed more than 30 people – possibly more – had died.
Israel said the October 7 attack killed about 1,200 people. Gazan health officials say Israel’s bombing and subsequent invasion killed more than 34,000 people and injured many more.
