By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ahmed Tolba
CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal it acquired two days in the past from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group’s chief stated on Saturday.
“Two days in the past, we acquired a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and Qatar. We handled it positively and accepted it,” Khalil al-Hayya stated in a televised speech.
“We hope that the (Israeli) occupation won’t undermine (it),” stated Hayya, who leads the Hamas negotiating crew in oblique talks aimed toward securing a ceasefire within the Hamas-Israel battle in Gaza that erupted in October 2023.
Safety sources informed Reuters on Thursday that Egypt had acquired optimistic indications from Israel over a brand new ceasefire proposal that would come with a transitional section.
The proposal suggests Hamas launch 5 of the Israeli hostages it’s holding every week, the sources stated.
The Israeli prime minister’s workplace stated it had held a collection of consultations in response to the proposal that was acquired from the mediators, and that Israel had conveyed to the mediators a counter-proposal in full coordination with america.
Reuters requested the prime minister’s workplace if it had additionally agreed to the ceasefire proposal however it didn’t instantly reply.
PHASED CEASEFIRE
The primary section of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into pressure on Jan. 19 after 15 months of battle and concerned a halt to preventing, the discharge of among the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the releasing of some Palestinian prisoners.
Part two of the three-phase deal is meant to deal with agreements on the discharge of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas says any proposals should permit the launch of the second section, whereas Israel has supplied to develop the primary 42-day section.
In response to calls on Hamas to disarm by Israel and america, Hayya stated the group’s arsenal was a purple line and that it could not disarm so long as the “Israeli” occupation exists.
Israel and the U.S. say Hamas should not have a task in post-war Gaza preparations.
Israeli navy strikes on Gaza continued on Saturday, killing at the least 20 Palestinians throughout the enclave, well being authorities stated.
The Israeli navy stated it had begun “floor exercise” within the Jneina neighbourhood of the Rafah space to develop what it described because the safety zone in southern Gaza.
On March 18, Israel resumed bombing and floor operations in Gaza, which it stated have been supposed to extend stress on Hamas to free hostages.
It has since issued evacuation orders to tens of hundreds of residents in a number of areas within the northern and southern Gaza Strip, citing rocket firing into Israeli territories.
Greater than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Palestinian officers say.
Israel started its offensive after hundreds of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 individuals and abducting 251 as hostages, in response to Israeli tallies.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Imad Creidi, Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray; Modifying by Timothy Heritage)
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