An explosion in Rafah from an Israeli bombardment on May 6.
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Hamas has reportedly agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Qatar and Egypt.Previous proposals included the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.But an Israeli official told Reuters this plan wasn’t acceptable and called it a “ruse.”
Hamas announced on Monday that it has accepted a cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt to temporarily stop the war with Israel.
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas’ political wing, informed the Prime Minister of Qatar and Egypt’s intelligence minister that it accepted the proposal, according to a statement carried by the Shehab news agency, which is affiliated with the militant group.
The full terms of the proposal haven’t been announced. Hamas has previously demanded an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by seven months of war. The two sides have also negotiated over the exchange of hostages abducted by Hamas during its Oct. 7 massacre with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
It’s unclear if Israel has accepted the terms of the Qatari and Egyptian cease-fire plan. But an anonymous Israeli official told Reuters that no cease-fire has been agreed to.
The official said the proposal had stipulations that Israel wouldn’t agree to, Reuters reported.
“This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal,” the Israeli official told Reuters. The Israeli government hasn’t made an official statement on the deal.
Israel helped to formulate the most recent version of a cease-fire proposal, according to a CNN report, which said a deal outlined last week calls for the release of between 20 and 33 hostages.
After that, according to the report, the remaining Israeli hostages — as well as the bodies of deceased hostages and captured IDF soldiers — could be exchanged for additional Palestinian prisoners.
A US State Department spokesperson said Washington plans to discuss the proposal with its partners over the next few hours.
“I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response,” Matthew Miller told reporters at a briefing. “We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region.”
“We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interest of the Israeli people,” Miller added. “It’s in the best interest of the Palestinian people. It would bring an immediate cease-fire. It would allow increased movement of humanitarian assistance, and so we’re going to continue to work to try to reach one.”
Hours before Hamas’ announcement, the Israeli military ordered civilians in eastern Rafah to temporarily evacuate to what it described as a “humanitarian area” slightly northwest.
The evacuation orders are the clearest sign yet that the Israel Defense Forces is preparing intensive military action in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinians have been sheltering since Israeli forces began their assault on the coastal enclave.
A potential Israeli operation in Rafah has been a key source of tension between Israel and the US, its main ally, as international pressure continues to mount amid a rising civilian death toll in Gaza.
