As the United States and Israel insist the fate of a Gaza ceasefire deal lies in Hamas’s hands, the head of the group’s political wing said Thursday it was studying Israel’s latest proposal with a “positive spirit” and that we will soon return to in-person negotiations.
The proposal, after almost seven months of devastating war, includes the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, as well as the return of civilians to the largely depopulated northern part of Gaza. This would also increase the delivery of aid to the territory.
On Thursday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told an Egyptian official that his group was studying the proposal. A Hamas delegation will soon travel to Egypt to “finish ongoing discussions” towards an agreement that “meets the demands of our people and puts an end to the aggression,” according to a statement from the group.
Less than a day earlier, a Hamas spokesperson, Osama Hamdan, told Lebanese television that “our position on the current negotiating document is negative.” But the Hamas press office later said its comment did not constitute a categorical rejection. Some changes would have to be made for Hamas to accept, the office said, without elaborating.
In Israel, the war cabinet was due to meet Thursday evening to discuss ceasefire negotiations and Israel’s planned invasion of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town, where around a million people have sought refuge. , according to an Israeli official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to communicate with the media on the matter.
During a visit to Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken placed clear responsibility on Hamas to accept the Israeli proposal. “We are determined to get a ceasefire that would bring the hostages home and get it now, and the only reason it won’t happen is because of Hamas,” he said.
However, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “no political excuse” for not reaching a deal quickly.
The complex negotiations have dragged on for months, with each negotiating item moved also moving several others. Further complicating matters is that Israel and the United States do not communicate directly with Hamas, which they consider a terrorist organization, but communicate through officials in Qatar and Egypt who act as intermediaries.
A seemingly intractable sticking point is Israel’s planned ground offensive on Rafah. “If the enemy carries out Operation Rafah, the negotiations will stop,” Mr. Hamdan said on Wednesday. “The resistance does not negotiate under fire. »
The Biden administration has pressured the Israeli government to abandon the idea of a major invasion of the city and instead rely on surgical operations to kill or capture Hamas leaders and fighters.
But Israeli officials have consistently and categorically declared that the offensive would take place. Far-right parties in Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition have suggested they will leave if he calls off the offensive, which could cause the government to collapse and force new elections.
“We will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without an agreement – in order to achieve total victory,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement released Tuesday.
Hamas has insisted that any agreement must constitute a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary cessation of fighting – a position that Israel has rejected, as Hamas seeks to buy time to re-establish itself as a force. government and military. The Biden administration has offered hope that a six-week pause in the war could be the first step toward a lasting end to the fighting.
Israel softened some of its positions this week. He agreed to allow Palestinians to return en masse to northern Gaza in the first phase of a ceasefire. Israel had previously insisted on controlling returnees and limiting their flow.
Israel also backed away from demanding that Hamas release 40 hostages – civilian and military women, as well as the sick or elderly – after Hamas indicated it did not have 40 hostages alive in those categories. The latest proposal lowers that figure to 33. It is unclear how many Palestinians Israel offers to release in exchange.
During the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, around 250 people were kidnapped and returned to Gaza, according to the Israeli government. More than 100 people were freed during a week-long ceasefire in November, and Israeli officials estimate that more than 30 — perhaps many more — died.
The October 7 attacks killed some 1,200 people, Israel said. Health officials in Gaza say the Israeli bombing and invasion that followed killed more than 34,000 people and injured many more.
