Rabat – Hamas announced on Monday that it has told mediators it accepts a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza, which would include a 60-day truce. The deal was put forward by Qatar and Egypt.
Al Jazeera quoted a source familiar with the talks as saying that the plan would pause “military operations” for two months. During that time, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) would pull back to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and negotiations are expected to take place to push forward a permanent ceasefire.
Half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages would also be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. The source said the deal “marks the beginning of the path to a comprehensive solution.”
Israel has not yet given an official response. Some top officials dismissed Hamas’ move, saying it only agreed because of Israel’s planned illegal invasion of Gaza City. Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed Hamas was acting “out of fear.”
Far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich strongly opposed the plan. Ben-Gvir said the “war” must continue, while Smotrich argued Israel should not “grant the enemy a lifeline.”
A “regional source involved in the Gaza talks” told CNN that Hamas “insists” on “written American guarantees” for a permanent ceasefire after the 60 days.
Protests in Israel
Meanwhile, pressure on the government is mounting inside Israel. Protesters blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv on Monday night to demand the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Activists carried banners reading: “Occupying Gaza means sacrificing the abductees and soldiers.” Haaretz reported that the protest lasted merely 15 minutes before police cracked down and cleared the road. Seven people and a Haaretz photographer were threatened with fines for traffic violations.
Relatives of freed hostages also joined the protest, briefly blocking traffic while calling for a deal to free those still held in Gaza. “Their time is running out. A deal is on the table,” protesters chanted. Others shouted, “Enough killing, enough bereavement, hostages above all.”
The protest came just a day after a similar massive Israeli protest in Tel Aviv organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, in which 500,000 flocked to the streets and gathered outside of politicians’ homes as well as IOF headquarters.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a new government decision has sparked outrage – the State Department has suspended all visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza.
Rights groups condemned the move, saying it will gravely hurt children who need urgent medical care in the US. HEAL Palestine, a US-based charity, said the suspension will block “severely injured children” from receiving life-saving treatment that is not available in Gaza as the genocide rages on.
