Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy head of the Hamas movement in Gaza, said during an interview with Al-Jazeera that the proposal presented by the mediators to the movement includes three stages and includes a complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, the return of the displaced, and an exchange of prisoners. Al-Hayya stated that the mediators informed the movement that US President Joe Biden “is clearly committed to ensuring the implementation of the agreement.” He added that the ball is now in the court of the Israeli occupation, and the movement is waiting for its response, but it has not been informed of a specific date for that.
Al-Hayya explained that on the first day of the first phase of the agreement, there is a clear commitment to temporarily stop military operations and the withdrawal of the occupation army to areas adjacent to the border inside the Gaza Strip. He stressed that there are no restrictions on the return of the displaced, and that “this is a clear text in the agreement proposal.” He pointed out that the first phase would witness indirect negotiations on the keys to exchanging prisoners through Qatari and Egyptian mediation. He also stated that the text includes “the interconnectedness of the stages in implementation.” Al-Hayya confirmed that Hamas had thus achieved the goals of a ceasefire, the return of the displaced, relief, and a serious exchange deal, noting that the movement made the concession to open the door to “stopping the crazy war.” Meanwhile, Palestinian youth and children took to the streets in several areas of the Gaza Strip from north to south, rejoicing at the news of Hamas’ approval of the ceasefire proposal. The demonstrators shouted “Allahu Akbar” and chanted for the Palestinian resistance, chanting: “Put the sword against the sword, we are the men of Muhammad Deif,” referring to the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement. Israel is considering a response Israeli Channel 12 said that the Israeli negotiating team received Hamas’ response from the mediators and is studying it to respond to it officially. It was also reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ministers of the War Council decided to hold telephone discussions following Hamas’ response to the proposal. The Israeli army spokesman said, during a press conference, that they are “ready to study every proposal presented to return the kidnapped people, and at the same time continue military pressure.” In response to a question about whether Hamas’s approval would affect the planned Israeli attack on Rafah, the spokesman said, “We are studying every answer and every response very seriously… and in parallel, we are still working in the Gaza Strip.” The Kan channel, affiliated with the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, said that Israel was very surprised by Hamas’s positive response to the deal proposal. It quoted an Israeli official participating in the negotiations as saying that the conversation was about responding to a “unilateral Egyptian proposal.” Reuters also quoted an Israeli official as saying that Hamas’ announcement “seems to be a hoax to portray Israel as the party that rejects the agreement.” The Israeli official added that the proposal includes major concessions that Israel cannot accept, as he put it. However, an official familiar with the talks told Reuters that Hamas agreed to the latest proposal put forward by Israel on April 27, and that there have been no major changes since then, adding that the Qatari mediators spoke with Hamas about this yesterday, Sunday, and today, Monday. The official, who requested that his name not be published, added, “What happens next depends on Israel’s acceptance or rejection of Hamas’ response. The ball is in Israel’s court.” Meanwhile, Israelis, including the families of the prisoners, demonstrated in Tel Aviv and Haifa, demanding that the government conclude the deal now and warning against missing this opportunity after the approval of the Hamas movement. Proposal details Sources told Al Jazeera that the proposal includes 3 stages, each of which lasts 42 days. This includes the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Netzarim axis in the first phase and allowing the freedom of return of the displaced. In the second stage, the occupation forces are supposed to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip. The sources added that the proposal includes agreeing to end the siege on Gaza in the third phase. The Hamas delegation held talks in Cairo for two days regarding ending the war on Gaza and exchanging prisoners, and then returned to Qatar yesterday, Sunday, to hold consultations with the movement’s political leadership. This coincided with the visit of CIA Director William Burns to Doha, where informed diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera that he came in an attempt to save the faltering negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Washington follows up The US State Department spokesman said that Washington is aware of Hamas’ response to the proposed ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, and will discuss it with Egypt, Qatar, and Israel. White House National Security Communications Coordinator John Kirby also announced that President Joe Biden had been informed of Hamas’ response, and said that Washington would review it and discuss it with its partners. The White House said earlier that the US President briefed the Israeli Prime Minister – during a phone call today, Monday – on the efforts made to reach a prisoner exchange deal, including the ongoing talks today in Doha. He added that Biden repeated to Netanyahu his “clear position” regarding the invasion of Rafah. The Associated Press quoted a US National Security Council spokesman as saying that Biden told Netanyahu that reaching a ceasefire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israelis detained in Gaza. While Netanyahu insists on continuing the war after the possible exchange, Hamas stipulates that any agreement lead to an end to the Israeli aggression and the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu faced accusations from within the Israeli War Council, from the opposition, and from the families of the prisoners, of giving priority to his political interests by delaying concluding a deal to recover the prisoners. Source: Al Jazeera + agencies
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Posted on May 6, 2024
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