Hamas Receives Israel’s Latest Ceasefire Proposal Before Attack on Rafah
Egyptian media sources confirm a convergence of views between Cairo and Tel Aviv regarding the latest proposal, meaning the ball is in Hamas's court
Hamas announced on Saturday that it was “studying” Israel’s response to a potential ceasefire proposal in Gaza linked to the release of hostages held in the sector, in a new development of talks Egypt is attempting to resume, while Israeli sources say this proposal will be the last before an anticipated attack on Rafah.
Hamas‘s deputy chief in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, said in a statement, “Hamas received today the official response of the Zionist occupation to the movement’s stance, which was submitted to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13th. The movement will study this proposal, and once the study is completed, it will give its response.”
On April 13th, Hamas had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators to a ceasefire proposal with Israel, insisting on “its adherence to its demands and the national demands of the people, which include a permanent cessation of hostilities, a complete withdrawal of the army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of displaced persons to their areas and places of residence, the intensification of the entry of humanitarian aid and assistance, and the beginning of reconstruction.”
In contrast, Israel rejects a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of its forces from Gaza, while its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced his intention to carry out a ground operation in Rafah, in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, considering the city as the last major stronghold of Hamas.
Details of Israel’s response to the ceasefire proposal have not been disclosed, but Israeli press earlier this week indicated that talks were particularly focused on a proposal initially for the release of 20 hostages considered “humanitarian cases.”
This comes as an Egyptian delegation arrived in Israel on Friday, according to the “Al-Qahera News” channel, close to Egyptian intelligence, in an attempt to revive negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza linked to the release of hostages.
The Egyptian channel quoted a “high-level” source as saying that the delegation “includes a group of experts on the Palestinian file, to discuss a comprehensive framework for a ceasefire in Gaza.”
“Al-Qahera News” also reported that “there has been significant progress in narrowing the differences between the Egyptian and Israeli delegations regarding reaching a ceasefire.”
According to Israeli media, the Egyptian delegation is expected to try to revive stalled negotiations for weeks and push towards a ceasefire agreement that includes the release of “dozens” of hostages held in Gaza.
The war between Israel and Hamas will also be a focus of expected talks this weekend in Riyadh between senior Arab and European diplomats, including the foreign ministers of Germany and France.
On the ground, Palestinians reported Friday night Israeli strikes near Rafah as Israel prepares for a ground attack despite international community fears.
Many foreign capitals and humanitarian organizations fear many human casualties if Israel carries out its attack on the city, located in the southern besieged Palestinian enclave and home to over 1.5 million people, the majority of whom are displaced.
The war broke out on October 7th after an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1170 people, most of them civilians, according to a count by Agence France-Presse based on Israeli official data.
During the Hamas attack, over 250 people were abducted, with 129 still held in Gaza, including 34 who are likely deceased, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel pledged to destroy Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is classified as a “terrorist organization” by Israel, the United States, and the European Union.
Its extensive war in the Gaza Strip has resulted in 34,356 deaths, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-affiliated Ministry of Health.
On Friday, a journalist witnessed fighter jets firing missiles towards a house in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza, in the northern part of the territory, from which the bodies of a man, a woman, and a young girl were extracted.
An eyewitness recounted, “I was sitting selling cigarettes, and suddenly the first missile fell, shaking the area, and then the second missile came. We ran to see what happened, and we saw a martyr, a martyrdom, and a little girl who were killed.”
Later, a journalist reported two consecutive airstrikes in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza. Heavy columns of smoke rose from the neighborhood.
