Hamas official says group agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposal
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim confirmed via a post on Facebook that Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire proposal, as reported by the Middle East Eye via Reuters on August 18th.
Naim wrote: “The movement has handed over its approval to the new proposal presented by the mediators.”
Reportedly, Reuters, citing an Egyptian source reported earlier on August 18th that Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza that will see half of the remaining captives freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt in fighting.
A delegation from the Palestinian group, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, had previously arrived in Cairo to advance negotiations.
The delegation was expected to meet with the Egyptian authorities to discuss ways of stopping the war and to allow the entry of humanitarian aid in the enclave, as Hamas stated on its official Telegram channel.
Reports from Israel’s Channel 12 said that Netanyahu’s government was considering sending a delegation to Doha to negotiate a comprehensive agreement rather than a partial deal.
Israel and the US have not yet commented on the report. However, previously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that any ceasefire deal must include the complete disarmament of Hamas.
In a video message from Washington Netanyahu stated that Israel’s “fundamental conditions” were that Hamas must lay down its arms and lose all governing and military capabilities. He added: “If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If not, we will achieve this through other means.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated on August 12th that Egypt, Washington and Doha are attempting to restore a previous ceasefire proposal, which includes a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian captives and prisoners.
The death toll during Israel’s offensive in the Gaza strip since October 7th 2023 has now reached over 61,600 people.
Middle East Eye via Reuters, Maghrebi.org
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