Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh speaks to the press as he pays a visit to Palestinian photojournalist Ashraf Amra, a freelancer for Turkey’s leading news agency Anadolu, who was seriously injured in the hand by Israeli army fire while covering a protest demonstration Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey on September 22, 2023.
Cem Tekkesinoglu Anadolu | Getty Images
Hamas said it had told Egyptian and Qatari negotiators that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal to end the war in Gaza.
Israel is considering the proposal, which Hamas accepted and accepted It has not been confirmed whether it would accept or reject it, an Israeli official told NBC News.
“We investigate everything we hear and we exploit the potential for negotiations and the return of the hostages. Our main task is to bring them home as quickly as possible,” Israel Defense Forces officer Daniel Hagari said at a news conference after Hamas’ announcement. “But in parallel, we continue to operate operationally in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so.”
Israel’s war cabinet plans to meet on Monday evening to discuss Hamas’ proposal.
The White House also said it was reviewing the proposal.
“Of course we will discuss this with Egypt, Qatar and Israel, the three countries we have worked with throughout this negotiation process,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a news conference Monday afternoon. “If these discussions have not yet begun, they will of course continue in the next few hours.”
The proposal would require an exchange of 33 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage released, as well as a permanent halt to Israeli military operations and hostilities in Gaza, a senior Arab source familiar with the proposal told NBC News.
Release of the hostage Negotiations intensified over the weekend, supported by US CIA Director William Burns and mediators from Egypt and Qatar. Burns continued his talks Monday after Hamas’ announcement.
The negotiations took place against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing threats to invade the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah, which was imminent if a temporary ceasefire agreement was not reached.
U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Israel against an offensive in Rafah, where millions of civilians have sought refuge.
President Joe Biden reiterated that stance during a half-hour phone call Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which came before Hamas announced its approval of a ceasefire proposal.
Hundreds of Palestinians, including children, flee eastern neighborhoods after Israel sent leaflets warning them to evacuate Rafah in the Gaza Strip on May 6, 2024.
Ali Jadallah | Anadolu | Getty Images
Last week, the U.S. halted a shipment of arms to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs, as Israel continued to signal that a ground invasion of Rafah could be imminent, two senior administration officials confirmed to NBC News.
On Monday, Israel ordered the evacuation of civilians in eastern Rafah, increasing fears that Israel is planning an invasion of the southern city.
“We cannot and will not advocate for IDF operations. But we have made clear our views on operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a White House press conference on Monday.
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2024-05-06 19:10:56
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