Gaza war: What is known about the ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas that Israel is now analyzing

Hamas announced on Monday that it accepted a ceasefire proposal made by Egypt and Qatar in Gaza, raising hopes for a pause in the conflict.

The statement from the Islamic group came as Israel ordered a military offensive against some 100,000 Palestinians in the city of Rafah in the south of the Strip, which had been planned for months and which a large majority of the population opposes. Of the international community.

Hamas specified that the head of its political office, Ismail Haniya, informed the Prime Minister of Qatar and the Egyptian Intelligence Minister of its decision.

However, the announcement was greeted with optimism both in the Palestinian territories and in the international community. Israel has not yet confirmed whether it will accept the offer. And it has continued its military campaign in southern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office signaled a ceasefire offer from Egypt and Qatar.far away from demandsOn his government’s part, however, he agreed to talks and announced the sending of a delegation to the mediator countries.

Although it is unknown what exactly the proposal includes, Palestinian sources have leaked some details about what its contents will be.

A senior Palestinian official with access to the text indicated that Hamas accepts it “End Hostile Activity Forever” If the terms of the ceasefire are met.

The phrasing suggests that Hamas may consider an end to its armed conflict, although no further details were provided, and that this would occur after the signing. two-phase ceasefire agreement,

Each phase will last for 42 days and the second phase will end with a “long and lasting period of peace” as well as the complete lifting of the blockade of Gaza.

The first phase would involve the release of Israeli female soldiers captured in Gaza in exchange for 50 Palestinian prisoners each, including some serving life sentences.

Israeli forces will remain inside Gaza during this period but, within 11 days of the ceasefire taking effect, Israel will begin dismantling its military installations in the central Gaza Strip and withdraw from some key areas.

After 11 days, Palestinians will be allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip.

Al-Jazeera media referred to the third phase of the agreement, in which the reconstruction of Gaza would begin under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and UN agencies.

The Qatari television network cited Khalil al-Haya, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, as the source of this information.

He also elaborated that the first phase would see the resumption of flows of aid, fuel and materials to Gaza, and the second, according to the text of the resolution, would lead to a complete and permanent cessation of military activity in Gaza.

The approval of the ceasefire proposal by Hamas has raised hopes for peace not only in the Palestinian territories, but also among a section of the Israeli population, especially relatives of hostages held by Hamas.

Groups of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Monday demanding that Netanyahu’s government accept the offer made by Egypt and Qatar and thereby facilitate the return of the kidnapped people.

On October 7 last year, Hamas militants carried out a large-scale military incursion into Israeli territory, where they killed about 1,200 people and abducted 253 people, whom they took to Gaza as hostages.

Some of them were released and 128 still left in GazaAccording to Israeli figures, however, it is believed that at least 34 people may have been killed.

Israel has launched a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip over the past seven months in response to Hamas attacks, which More than 34,000 people have died due to this,

Despite Hamas’s announcement, this Monday Israel launched a military attack in Rafah, a city that it considers the last stronghold of the Palestinian organization that carried out the October 7 attack.

The Israel Defense Forces indicated that the operation involved a series “Targeted attacks” against Hamas. In East Rafah.

For its part, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad – another organization the US and EU consider terrorist – announced that its militants launched rockets from Gaza towards southern Israel in response to these attacks.

Images show how Israel’s anti-missile system “Iron Dome” intercepted a projectile in the country’s sky this Monday.

Most of the international community has expressed its opposition to Israel’s announced military attack on Rafah, where they more than one million displaced

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said the consequences would be devastating for these people.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern and called on the Israeli government and Hamas leaders to “make extra efforts” to reach an agreement.

For his part, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, described Israel’s evacuation order in Rafah as “inhumane”.

President of the United States, Joe Biden conveyed his concern to Netanyahu this Monday The White House announced the offensive on southern Gaza in a telephone conversation.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, “We cannot support any operation in Rafah as currently planned.”

EU Chancellor Josep Borrell strongly criticized Israel’s operation, which he described as “unacceptable” and assured that it would lead to “more war and hunger”

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, also expressed his “deep concern” about the offensive in Rafah due to “the number of civilians taking refuge there and the importance of that crossing for receiving aid”.

Among the countries in the region, Egypt called for “control” from Israel at a decisive moment in which a significant progress towards peace could be made, while Jordan and Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israel’s attacks in Rafah in recent hours. of.

Analysis by BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen

The ceasefire announcement accepted by Hamas surprised most analysts and disrupted Israel’s expectations about what might happen in the coming weeks.

Israel’s perception was that Hamas would not accept the ceasefire offer which the Americans called “extraordinarily generous”. At dawn, Israel warned Palestinians to flee the eastern part of Rafah due to an impending military operation.

The Americans oppose any ground action in Rafah that could threaten civilian lives. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant explained to his American counterpart that there is no other option, as Hamas has rejected all proposals for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Mediators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar continued to press for a ceasefire. CIA chief William Burns spent much of the day in meetings with Qatar’s prime minister in Doha, the capital which is also the base of Hamas’ political leadership.

In the evening, when Hamas announced it would accept a ceasefire, Palestinian sources indicated that the organization may be ready for a long-term ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first public reaction was to say that Hamas’s acceptance of the proposal “far from meeting Israel’s demands.” However, they have sent a delegation to discuss it.

The Prime Minister finds himself in a complex political situation. His coalition government is dependent on the support of Jewish ultranationalists, who have demanded complete occupation of Rafah and threatened to overthrow the executive unless that happens. The ceasefire would mean canceling the offensive in Rafah.

At the same time, relatives of the hostages and other Israelis demonstrated, blocking main roads and demanding that Israel accept the deal to return the hostages home.

Americans also want a deal President Joe Biden’s support for Israel despite the high number of deaths of Palestinian civilians is costing him political support in an election year.

Hamas has put the ball in Netanyahu’s court. And if Biden pressures them to agree to a ceasefire, they will have to choose between the survival of their government and the vital support provided by the US President after the October 7 attacks.

A ceasefire would also mean Israel would not be able to achieve the “total victory” that Prime Minister Netanyahu had promised to achieve.

What comes next is more negotiations and difficult decisions.

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