The radical Palestinian group Hamas said it has accepted a proposal for a ceasefire in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip against Israel. The group made this known in a statement widespread on Telegram: said that the head of the group, Ismail Haniyeh, gave his consent directly to the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel.
Shortly afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the proposal was “far from Israel’s essential demands” and that further negotiations were needed to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Israel announced that it had started bombing Rafah, the last city in the south of the Strip that the Israeli army has not yet entered and where over a million civilians have taken refuge.
Not much is known about the proposal accepted by Hamas: based on what Hamas itself said and on some statements from informed officials, Reuters said that would predict three phases. In the first two there would be a 42-day ceasefire in which Hamas would first free 33 hostages and then some Israeli soldiers and reservists, in exchange for the release of some Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israel should also withdraw most of its soldiers from the Strip and allow the Palestinians inside to move from south to north.
At least for now, the actual reaching of an agreement seems distant. Commenting on Hamas’ announcement, Israel’s Minister of National Security, right-wing extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, said that «There is only one response to Hamas’s tricks and games: the immediate order to conquer Rafah, increase military pressure and continue to crush Hamas until its total defeat.”
Israel has now said it has begun bombing targeted locations in eastern Rafah, and a ground operation there appears increasingly imminent. Meanwhile, the Israeli government said it would send a new delegation to continue negotiations on a ceasefire agreement.
A new phase of negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip had been underway for days in Cairo, Egypt, and had stalled. The most immediate consequence of a hypothetical reaching of an agreement would be to postpone, and for now avoid, the Israeli invasion in Rafah. On Monday, following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli army, operations to evacuate thousands of civilians began in the eastern part of the city.
Following Hamas’ announcement that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal, many displaced Palestinian civilians celebrated in the Gaza Strip after hearing that Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal. In Tel Aviv, Israel, family members of some hostages held in the Strip blocked a road demanding the government reach an agreement for the release of the hostages.