THE Palestinian liberation movement in the Gaza Strip, Hamas, accepted the ceasefire proposal made by Egypt-Qatar, Monday (6/5). This was done to stop the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for seven months.
The agreement came just hours following Israel ordered around 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling the impending arrival of Israel’s long-declared land invasion.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the deal and details of the proposal have not been released. In recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the ceasefire will take place in several stages.
Hamas will release the hostages they are holding in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. It is not yet clear the deal will meet Hamas’ main demands for an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
In a statement, Hamas said its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news while speaking by telephone with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister.
After the statement was released, Palestinians cheered in refugee camps around the city of Rafah, hoping the deal would prevent an Israeli offensive into the city.
Also read: 6 Months of the Israel-Hamas War, Peace in the Gaza Strip is Increasingly Difficult to Achieve
Israel’s closest allies, including the United States (US), have repeatedly said that Israel should not attack Rafah. The Israeli attack plan has raised world concern over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians who have taken refuge there.
UN aid agencies have warned that attacks would worsen the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip and increase civilian deaths. The nearly seven-month Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 34,000 people and devastated the region.
US President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday (6/5). He reiterated US concerns regarding Israel’s invasion of Rafah.
Also read: Israel-Hamas ready to negotiate once more, UN warns of hunger in Gaza
A spokesman for the US national security council, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks before an official statement from the White House was issued, said that in the talks, Biden emphasized that a ceasefire with Hamas was the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. .
Hamas and Qatar’s top mediator said attacking Rafah would thwart efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire.
Days earlier, Hamas had discussed a US-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, in exchange for the release of all hostages held by the group.
Israeli officials have rejected the offer and vowed to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
Netanyahu said capturing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, was crucial to ensuring that the militants might not rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the attack on Israel’s south on October 7 that sparked this long war. (VoA/Z-1)
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