Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has knowledgeable mediators, Qatar and Egypt, that his Palestinian militant group had accepted their Gaza truce proposal after almost seven months of warfare.
The group in a press release revealed on its official web site, stated Haniyeh had spoken on the telephone with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and with Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel, informing them of Hamas’s approval of their proposal relating to a ceasefire settlement.
In accordance with a senior Hamas official, this doesn’t imply that the ceasefire has come into impact but, mentioning that the Israeli facet has not but communicated its place.
One other senior official instructed AFP on situation of anonymity, as a result of he was not authorised to talk publicly in regards to the negotiations that: “The ball is now within the court docket of the Israeli occupation, whether or not it’s going to conform to the ceasefire settlement or hinder it.”
The Hamas announcement got here after Israel on Monday referred to as on Palestinians to depart jap Rafah forward of a floor invasion of the southern Gaza metropolis, amid growing world alarm in regards to the penalties of such a transfer.
An AFP correspondent reported that in Rafah, the place civilians had voiced worry and confusion over the evacuation order, crowds cheered and fired within the air within the streets following Hamas’s announcement.
The correspondent added that individuals had been crying tears of happiness, chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Best) and taking pictures within the air in celebration of the information.
Regardless of months of shuttle diplomacy, mediators have didn’t dealer a brand new truce just like the week-long ceasefire that noticed 105 hostages launched final November, the Israelis amongst them in trade for Palestinians held by Israel.
Earlier negotiation efforts had stalled partly due to Hamas’s demand for an enduring ceasefire and Netanyahu’s vows to crush its remaining fighters in Rafah.
Gaza’s bloodiest-ever warfare started following Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 assault on Israel that resulted within the deaths of greater than 1,170 folks, principally civilians, in keeping with an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel estimates that 128 of the hostages kidnapped by militants on October 7 stay in Gaza, together with 35 who the army says are useless.
In accordance with the Hamas-run territory’s well being ministry, vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has performed a retaliatory offensive that has killed no less than 34,735 folks in Gaza, principally girls and kids.
