The Palestinian group Hamas says it is considering a new framework for a cease-fire proposed during the latest round of talks in Cairo, as Palestinians return to southern Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Disaster has been faced.
Six months after Israel’s bloodiest offensive on Gaza, Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators have proposed another temporary ceasefire, French news agency AFP reported Tuesday, citing Hamas sources.
The three-part proposal, if implemented, would halt fighting for six weeks to exchange Palestinian prisoners with Hamas in Israel.
Hamas on Tuesday “appreciated” the mediators’ efforts, accusing Israel of not responding to any of its demands during the talks.
“Nevertheless, the leadership of the movement is considering the proposal,” the Palestinian group said in a statement. ‘
After months of intense fighting, Israel announced late last week that it had withdrawn its forces from the southern city of Khan Yunis to prepare for the next phase of the war, which includes an assault on Rafah. can go back
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday that a date has been set for sending ground troops to the southern city of the Gaza Strip, home to the majority of the displaced Palestinian population.
Foreign powers and humanitarian aid agencies have repeatedly urged Israel not to take action there, fearing mass civilian casualties.
But Netanyahu and his military commanders insist that Hamas cannot be defeated otherwise.
“It will happen – there’s a date set for it,” Netanyahu said in a video, which did not specify a time.
In response, Israel’s main backer the US reiterated its objections to the Rafah operation, saying it would “ultimately damage Israel’s security”, while Israeli Defense Minister Yves Gallant called it “the right time for a ceasefire”. is given
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As Palestinians prepared for the Eid al-Fitr holiday on Wednesday at the end of Ramadan, those returning to Khan Yunis, just north of Rafah, encountered piles of rubble where houses and shops once stood.
After returning to the city, Umm Ahmad al-Faghavi said, ‘I came to see my house, only to find it destroyed and turned into a pile of rubble. I am amazed by what I saw. Every house was destroyed, not only mine but also all the neighbours’ houses.’
Another returnee said she came back to see ‘a ruined place’.
He said that there is no water, no electricity, no pillars, no walls and no doors, nothing. Gaza is no longer Gaza.’
The troop withdrawal comes as Israel faces strong international pressure to halt its aggression and allow more humanitarian aid into the food-scarce region.
Since the attacks on October 7, 2023, besieged Gazans have been deprived of food, water and other basic goods.
While acute shortages have been minimized by aid deliveries, humanitarian groups have warned that a surge in supplies will not avert looming ‘man-made’ famines.
On Monday, 419 aid trucks were allowed into the area, the highest number in a single day since the start of the war, according to COGAT, the Israeli agency that manages aid shipments to the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched the offensive, determined to destroy Hamas, which has killed at least 33,207 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
A Hamas source said on Monday that the latest proposal to end the fighting would include a six-week ceasefire and the release of Israeli women and children held by Hamas in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners.
According to the sources, the agreement will allow the return of displaced Palestinian citizens north of the Gaza Strip and 400 to 500 truckloads of food aid per day.
During the previous round of mediation, which ended in a deadlock, Hamas demanded a comprehensive ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and controls on aid deliveries.
Despite months of negotiations and shuttle diplomacy, the only negotiated ceasefire so far was in November 2023, when hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for 78 Israeli prisoners.
US President Joe Biden last week called on the Israeli leader to take more steps to protect Gaza’s citizens and reach a ceasefire.
With a deal now proposed with Gaza’s rulers, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it was ‘up to Hamas.’
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari told the BBC he was “more optimistic today than a few days ago” but added that “we are by no means at the final stage of negotiations.”
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2024-04-19 04:55:20
