Reflection in progress. The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced on Saturday that it was “studying” an Israeli counter-proposal with a view to a truce in the fighting in Gaza.
Hamas indicated in a statement on April 13 that it had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on a proposed truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, insisting on a permanent ceasefire. He declared this Saturday that he had received the official response and promised to “study” it: “The movement will study this proposal and submit its response once its study is completed,” declared the number 2 of Hamas’ political branch for Gaza , Khalil al-Hayya, in a statement.
Pause versus permanent ceasefire
The Palestinian movement sets as a condition for a truce “a permanent ceasefire”, the withdrawal of the Israeli army “from the entire Gaza Strip”, “the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence”, and “intensification of the entry of humanitarian aid”.
However, Israel is opposed to a permanent ceasefire, insisting instead on a pause of several weeks in the fighting to then carry out, for example, a ground operation in Rafah, and refuses to withdraw from the entire territory.
Egyptian delegation
The details of this counter-proposal have not filtered out but the Israeli press mentioned earlier this week the possible release, initially, of 20 hostages considered to be “humanitarian cases”.
This counter-proposal comes as an Egyptian delegation arrived in Israel on Friday to discuss a “comprehensive framework for a ceasefire” in Gaza, according to the Egyptian media close to intelligence Al-Qahera News, which cites a senior Egyptian official. According to Israeli media, the delegation must try to relaunch negotiations, which have been at a standstill for several weeks, and plead for a truce agreement involving the release of “dozens” of hostages held in Gaza.
Feared bloodbath in Rafah
On the ground, during the night from Friday to Saturday, Palestinians reported Israeli strikes near Rafah, where Israel is preparing to launch a ground offensive despite the fears of the international community. Many capitals and humanitarian organizations fear a bloodbath in this city, where a million and a half Palestinians are crowded together, many in tent camps, without water or electricity.
The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7 by an unprecedented attack carried out against Israel by Hamas commandos, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP report based on official data. Israelis. More than 250 people have been kidnapped and 129 remain captive in Gaza, 34 of whom have died according to Israeli officials.
In retaliation, Israel promised to destroy Hamas, in power in Gaza since 2007 and which it considers a terrorist organization, as do the United States and the European Union. His army launched an offensive which has so far left 34,356 dead, mostly civilians, according to the Islamist movement’s Ministry of Health.