Gaza – The New Arab. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar told negotiators that the Movement would only accept a truce agreement if Israel committed to a permanent ceasefire, while Israeli leaders, the US president and negotiators waited for the group to respond to a truce proposal put forward by Israel.
“Hamas will not hand over its weapons or sign a proposal requiring it,” Arab mediators reported Sinwar’s statements Thursday.
The spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that mediators had not yet received a response from Hamas on the latest proposal, saying that Qatar, Egypt and the United States were continuing their joint mediation efforts.
Sinwar’s response came as the Israeli army struck a UN school turned shelter for displaced Palestinians in al-Nuseirat, central Gaza.
Palestinian health officials said at least 40 people were killed in the attack, including several children.
Egypt said it had received “positive signals” from Hamas indicating its willingness to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The Arabic website Arabs21 quoted a high-level Egyptian source as saying that the group will present its response to the Israeli proposal announced by US President Joe Biden, in the coming days.
Both Qatar and Egypt, two key mediators, said Hamas’ response to Biden’s speech was positive, but they have not yet given an official response.
Ismail Haniyah, head of Hamas’s political bureau, also said on Wednesday that the movement would approach “seriously and positively” any agreement on the basis of reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, along with prisoner exchanges.
The three-phase proposal, presented by US President Joe Biden, calls for a prisoner exchange in the first phase, followed by maintaining the ceasefire and rebuilding Gaza as the final phase.
Netanyahu called Biden’s presentation of the proposal “inaccurate”.
“I did not agree to end the war in the second phase of the proposal, but only to discuss that phase under Tel Aviv’s terms,” he said.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NBC that Israel’s proposed hostage deal is still “a living proposal,” adding that “the Israeli government reconfirmed just today that the proposal is still on the table.” and it is up to Hamas to accept it.”
There CNN reported that Qatar threatened Hamas leaders with expulsion if the group did not agree to a ceasefire deal and the release of hostages.
A senior Hamas official reportedly responded by saying that expulsion was not being considered, adding that they want an agreement that safeguards the national interests of the Palestinian people.
He added that any expulsion of the Hamas leadership from Gaza will have “no effect and could only harden Hamas’ position.”
The Israeli proposal has caused some divisions and doubts have emerged over its approval by the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist allies, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, threatening to leave the government if approved.
Even the party Otzma Yehudit by Ben Gvir said Wednesday that he will reserve the right not to vote with the coalition in the Knesset until Netanyahu reveals details of the ceasefire proposal.
The party released a statement accusing the Prime Minister of withholding details of the draft agreement.
Translation for InfoPal by FL
