Hamas is reviewing Israeli proposal for a cease re
Hamas said on Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease re in Gaza, as Egypt intensi ed eorts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave o a possible Israeli ground oensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Senior Hamas ocial Khalil al-Hayya said the Palestinian militant group was evaluating Israel’s proposal, and “upon completion of its study, it will submit its response”.
He gave no details of Israel’s oer but said it was in response to a proposal from Hamas two weeks ago.
Negotiations earlier this month centred on a sixweek cease re proposal and the release of 40 civilian
Khalil al-Hayya
and sick hostages in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Hamas’s statement came hours after a high-level Egyptian delegation wrapped up a visit to Israel where it discussed a “new vision” for a prolonged cease re in Gaza, according to an Egyptian ocial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the developments.
It was not immediately clear whether Israel’s latest response to Hamas on a cease re was directly related to Friday’s visit to Tel Aviv by Egyptian mediators.
The discussions between Egyptian and Israeli ocials focused on the rst stage of a multi-phase plan that would include a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of a signi cant number of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza “with minimum restrictions,” the Egyptian ocial said.
The mediators are working on a compromise that will answer most of both parties’ main demands, which could pave the way to continued negotiations with the goal of a larger deal to end the war, the of
cial said.