CAIRO: Hamas has confirmed that it has received a ceasefire proposal and is considering it. "Hamas leadership is considering the propo...
CAIRO: Hamas has confirmed that it has received a ceasefire proposal and is considering it.
"Hamas leadership is considering the proposal that was handed over by the mediators and will soon respond to it after all necessary consultations are over," it said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.
Egypt’s Al-Qahira Al-Ekhbariya television channel said earlier in the day that Cairo had handed over to Hamas Israel’s proposal to temporarily cease hostilities in the Gaza Strip and begin talks on a lasting truce.
The Hamas-affiliated Maan agency reported on Monday that as part of the renewed deal, Israel has proposed to resume a ceasefire in the enclave in exchange for the release of ten hostages, including Israeli-American citizen Edan Alexander. Under the Israeli initiative, it will withdraw its troops from areas of the Gaza Strip captured during the operation that was launched in mid-March during the 45-day ceasefire. Apart from that, it will open several checkpoints on the border with Gaza to ensure humanitarian deliveries to the enclave.
If the deal is ultimately made, Hamas may release 11 living hostages and hand over the bodies of 16 deceased hostages, the agency said, citing an official from Egypt, which is acting as a mediator. According to the official, this is quite likely "if the ceasefire period is extended to 70 days to make it possible to keep the situation in the enclave under control up till the end of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha)," which falls for early June this year. Moreover, the extended ceasefire period will give time to engage in indirect talks on the third phase of the Hamas-Israeli agreement on a permanent ceasefire and Israeli troops withdrawal from Gaza.
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