"We have conveyed our response, agreeing to the new proposal from the mediators. We pray to God to extinguish the flames of conflict that are burning our people," Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, announced on 18/8.
A Hamas source earlier said the group had accepted the new Gaza Strip ceasefire proposal without requesting any modifications. The two mediating countries, Egypt and Qatar, said they had forwarded the document to Israel, adding that everything now depends on Tel Aviv.
According to the Egyptian government-affiliated Al-Qahera news agency, the proposal includes an initial 60-day ceasefire, the release of some hostages in the Gaza Strip, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and allowing humanitarian aid into the territory.
A source from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, said the remaining hostages would be released in a second phase, after which the parties would negotiate a broader agreement. The source added that all factions in the Gaza Strip support the new proposal from Egypt and Qatar.
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The destroyed Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza City on 18/8. Photo: AFP |
The destroyed Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza City on 18/8. Photo: AFP
Israeli officials have not commented on the information. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel "will accept an agreement where all hostages are released at the same time and which meets our conditions for ending the fighting."
The new proposal comes a week after Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to attack and control Gaza City, the largest city in the territory, and neighboring refugee camps. The move has drawn strong opposition domestically and internationally.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said on 18/8 that he reviewed plans for a new operation in Gaza during a meeting with Israeli military commanders and stressed that Hamas "is under enormous pressure."
Egypt said on the same day that it is ready to participate in any international force deployed to the Gaza Strip, provided that the force is established by a United Nations Security Council resolution and has a clear "political vision."
Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. 49 people are still being held in the Gaza Strip, of whom 27 are believed to be dead.
Israel's retaliatory campaign in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 62,000 people, mostly civilians, according to local health officials. The conflict has also caused a severe humanitarian crisis in the territory, leaving millions hungry.
Pham Giang (According to AFP)
