Hamas rejects latest Israeli proposal
Hamas and Israel can't reach an agreement (Photo: Getty Images)
Egypt, acting as a mediator, has presented Hamas with a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. However, the militant group believes the offer does not meet its demands, according to the Times of Israel and Reuters.
“The draft that we received as part of the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza is an Israeli draft, and it includes, for the first time, the disarmament of Hamas as part of the negotiations of the second phase of the ceasefire,” said Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri.
He added that this crosses a million red lines, and that Hamas rejects it.
Earlier, Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the proposal does not meet the Palestinian group’s key demand for Israel to commit to a complete halt to hostilities.
However, he said Hamas is prepared to release all hostages at once, in exchange for an end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
Threats from Israel
If Hamas refuses to agree to a hostage release deal, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will intensify their offensive in Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. He emphasized that the primary objective of the IDF operations is to pressure Hamas into accepting a deal for the release of hostages.
Before Donald Trump's inauguration, his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, managed to push both sides into making painful compromises, leading to a phased agreement: hostages would be exchanged for a ceasefire, an Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the release of Hamas prisoners from Israeli jails. That deal collapsed in March, after Hamas refused to hand over hostages to Israel, prompting a resumption of Israeli strikes on the group.
