Hamas has confirmed that it is studying a proposal for a truce in Gaza, while hardline members of the Israeli government have threatened to collapse the coalition if any deal is not to their liking.
The Palestinian group’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh confirmed on Tuesday that he is studying the proposal, thrashed out in Paris over the weekend, to halt the war and enable the exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners.
Haniyeh said in a statement that the group is “open to discussing any serious and practical initiatives or ideas, provided that they lead to a comprehensive cessation of aggression”.
Hamas also said that the plan must ensure the “complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip”.
The group’s leadership, he said, had received an invitation to Cairo to reach an “integrated vision” on the framework agreement.
He also expressed appreciation for the role played by Qatar and Egypt in mediating the deal.
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said on Monday that “good progress” was made on a possible deal during meetings between intelligence officials from Egypt, Israel and the United States over the weekend.
The sides discussed a proposal that would include a phased truce. The release of women and children would follow, with humanitarian aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Qatari prime minister noted that Hamas has previously demanded a permanent ceasefire as a precondition to enter negotiations. However, he suggested that there is hope its stance may have shifted.
“I believe we moved from that place to a place that potentially might lead to a ceasefire permanently in the future,” he said.
Escalation
The proposals were circulated to Hamas as fighting intensified in Gaza.
Heavy Israeli strikes and urban combat across the besieged enclave killed 128 more people overnight, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
An Israeli ‘hit squad’ also killed three men that it labelled as “terrorists” in an undercover operation at a hospital in the occupied West Bank.
“The world must put pressure on the occupation to stop these massacres and war crimes, including the policy of torture to which our people are exposed in the areas of the West Bank, executions and arrests,” said Haniyeh.
Amidst the uptick in fighting, Israel has charged that around a dozen staff of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) took part in the October 7 attack, leading key donor countries including the United States and Germany to suspend funding.
Haniyeh said that the decision of countries to suspend contributions was a “clear violation” of last week’s International Court of Justice interim ruling, which called for increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Countries cutting aid support Israel’s “occupation through starvation and siege”, the Hamas chief asserted.
‘Government split’
The truce proposal has stirred division in the Israeli government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under significant pressure from the families of the remaining captives held by Hamas to reach a deal to secure their release.
Hamas killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took about 240 captives on October 7.
However, he is also being pushed to continue the war by hardline coalition partners and has pledged that the assault on Gaza will continue until Hamas is destroyed.
Commenting on the reported truce deal on Tuesday, far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared to suggest that a deal with Hamas would trigger a government collapse.
“Reckless deal = Government split,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.
עסקה מופקרת = פירוק הממשלה
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) January 30, 2024
The national security minister is known for his inflammatory commentary on the conflict. However, his Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party is a major player in Israel’s ruling coalition.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
