With the United States and Israel insisting that the destiny of a Gaza cease-fire deal is in the fingers of Hamas, the chief of the group’s political wing mentioned on Thursday that it was learning Israel’s newest proposal with a “positive spirit,” and would quickly return to in-person negotiations.
The proposal, after virtually seven devastating months of conflict, contains the discharge of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and the return of civilians to the largely depopulated northern a part of Gaza. It would additionally enable for elevated supply of assist to the territory.
On Thursday, the Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, instructed an Egyptian official that his group was inspecting the proposal. A Hamas delegation will go to Egypt quickly to “complete the ongoing discussions” for a deal that “realizes our people’s demands and ends the aggression,” in keeping with a press release from the group.
Less than a day earlier, a Hamas spokesman, Osama Hamdan, had mentioned on Lebanese tv that “our position on the current negotiating paper is negative.” But the Hamas press workplace later mentioned his remark was not an outright rejection. Some modifications would have to be made for Hamas to agree, the workplace mentioned, with out elaborating.
In Israel, the conflict cupboard was scheduled to satisfy on Thursday night to debate the cease-fire negotiations and a deliberate Israeli invasion of Rafah, the southernmost metropolis in Gaza, the place round one million individuals have been sheltering, in keeping with an Israeli official who requested anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to speak with the media on the matter.
On a go to to Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken put the onus squarely on Hamas to just accept the Israeli proposal. “We are determined to get a cease-fire that brings the hostages home and to get it now, and the only reason that that wouldn’t be achieved is because of Hamas,” he mentioned.
However, the Israeli opposition chief, Yair Lapid, mentioned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “no political excuse” to not make a deal rapidly.
The complicated negotiations have dragged on for months, with every bargaining piece moved additionally shifting a number of others. Complicating issues additional is that Israel and the United States don’t speak instantly with Hamas, which they take into account a terrorist group, however talk by officers of Qatar and Egypt who act as intermediaries.
A seemingly intractable sticking level is Israel’s deliberate floor offensive into Rafah. “If the enemy carries out the Rafah operation, negotiations will stop,” Mr. Hamdan mentioned on Wednesday. “The resistance does not negotiate under fire.”
The Biden administration has pressed the Israeli authorities onerous to desert the concept of a significant invasion of the town, and to rely as a substitute on surgical operations to kill or seize Hamas leaders and fighters.
But Israeli officers have mentioned, constantly and emphatically, that the offensive will happen. Far-right events in Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition have hinted at leaving it if he calls off the offensive, which may trigger the federal government to break down and drive new elections.
“We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal — in order to achieve the total victory,” Mr. Netanyahu mentioned in a press release launched on Tuesday.
Hamas has insisted that any settlement would finally result in a everlasting cease-fire, not only a non permanent halt in the preventing — a stance that Israel has rejected as a Hamas play for time to re-establish itself as a governing and navy drive. The Biden administration has held out hope {that a} six-week pause in the conflict could possibly be step one towards an enduring finish to the preventing.
Israel this week softened a few of its positions. It agreed to permit Palestinians to return to northern Gaza en masse in the primary part of a cease-fire. Israel had beforehand insisted on screening returnees and limiting their circulation.
Israel additionally backed away from its demand that Hamas launch 40 hostages — feminine civilians and troopers, and those that unwell or aged — after Hamas indicated that it didn’t have 40 residing hostages in these classes. The newest proposal lowers the determine to 33. The variety of Palestinians Israel is providing to free in alternate is unclear.
In the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault on Israel, about 250 individuals have been kidnapped and taken again to Gaza, in keeping with the Israeli authorities. More than 100 have been launched in a weeklong cease-fire in November, and Israeli officers say they consider that greater than 30 — presumably many extra — are useless.
The Oct. 7 assaults killed some 1,200 individuals, Israel has mentioned. Gazan well being officers say that Israel’s subsequent bombing and invasion have killed greater than 34,000 individuals, and injured way more.
