The Palestinian militant group, Hamas, led by Ismail Haniyeh, has communicated its acceptance of a truce proposal for Gaza to mediators from Qatar and Egypt. This comes after almost seven months of conflict.
Hamas made an official statement on its website, revealing that Haniyeh had phone conversations with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egypt’s Intelligence Minister, Abbas Kamel. During these calls, he conveyed Hamas’s agreement to their ceasefire proposal.
However, a high-ranking Hamas official clarified that this doesn’t imply the immediate commencement of the ceasefire, as Israel has yet to state its stance. Another top official, who chose to remain anonymous due to restrictions on public comments about the negotiations, stated that the next move is up to Israel, which can either agree to the ceasefire or hinder it.
This announcement from Hamas followed Israel’s call on Palestinians in eastern Rafah to evacuate in anticipation of a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city. This has sparked global concern about the potential repercussions.
An AFP correspondent reported jubilant scenes in Rafah, where civilians had previously expressed fear and uncertainty over the evacuation order. Following Hamas’s announcement, crowds celebrated in the streets, with people shedding tears of joy, chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest), and firing shots into the air.
Despite extensive diplomatic efforts over several months, mediators have been unable to secure a new truce similar to the week-long ceasefire last November, which resulted in the release of 105 hostages, including Israelis, in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
Past negotiation attempts have been hindered due to Hamas’s insistence on a permanent ceasefire and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s pledge to eliminate the remaining Hamas fighters in Rafah.
The deadliest war in Gaza’s history was triggered by an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, leading to the death of over 1,170 individuals, predominantly civilians, based on an AFP count of official Israeli data.
Israel estimates that 128 of the hostages taken by militants on October 7 are still in Gaza, including 35 who are presumed dead by the military.
In response to Hamas’s actions, Israel launched a counter-offensive, vowing to dismantle Hamas. According to the health ministry of the Hamas-controlled territory, this has resulted in the death of at least 34,735 individuals in Gaza, primarily women and children.
