Hamas Accepts Gaza Ceasefire Israel to Continue Talks While Attacking Rafah
Posted by admin on 2024-05-14 |
Israeli tanks have taken over the Rafah
crossing in Gaza’s border with Egypt after advancing during the night as their
warplanes pounded residential homes.
Attack
on Rafah
Israel’s military action in Rafah persists
despite Hamas indicating acceptance of a ceasefire proposal from Qatari and Egyptian
mediators. Israel’s military warned Palestinians to evacuate eastern parts of
Rafah ahead of the strikes, with more than 100,000 civilians affected by what
Israel has called a “limited” operation. Tanks moved into the area, crucial for
aid access.
Rejection
of Truce Terms by Israel
Truce talks are set to resume in Cairo,
although Israel finds the terms agreed upon by Hamas unacceptable, according to
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that the terms are “far from
Israel's basic requirements”.
The country’s war cabinet voted to continue
operations in Rafah, but is however sending a delegation to the talks in Cairo.
Ceasefire
Terms
Hamas's political bureau member Khalil
al-Hayya disclosed details of the Qatari-Egyptian proposal, which includes
Israeli forces’ withdrawal from Gaza, displaced Palestinians’ return home, and
an exchange of captives and prisoners.
The proposal outlines a three-stage truce,
each phase lasting 42 days.
In the first phase, indirect negotiations
through mediators would resume on the exchange of captives and prisoners.
In the second phase, al-Hayya said, there
would be a complete and permanent halt to military activity in Gaza.
The final phase would focus on beginning
reconstruction in post-war Gaza, overseen by Egypt, Qatar, and United Nations
agencies, he said.
Involvement
of US
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller
stated that the US, alongside Qatar and Egypt, is reviewing Hamas's response
and discussing it with partners.
Israel-Hamas
War Brief
Israel-Hamas conflict erupted full-scale when
Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200
people and seizing more than 250 hostages.
More than 34,700 people have been killed in
Gaza during the ensuing Israeli military campaign, according to the territory's
Hamas-run health ministry.
A deal which lasted a week in November saw
Hamas release 105 hostages in return for some 240 Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails. Israel says 128 hostages remain unaccounted for in Gaza, at least
34 of whom are presumed dead.
