Hamas says it’s waiting for Israeli response on ceasefire proposal
Hamas is waiting for a response from Israel on its ceasefire proposal, two officials from the Palestinian group said on Sunday, five days after it accepted a key part of a US plan aimed at ending the offensive in Gaza.
“We have left our response with the mediators and are waiting to hear the occupation’s response,” one of the two Hamas officials told Reuters, asking not to be named.
The three-phase plan was put forward at the end of May by US President Joe Biden and is being mediated by Qatar and Egypt. It aims to end the offensive and free around 120 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
Another Palestinian official, with knowledge of the ongoing ceasefire deliberations, said Israel was in talks with the Qataris.
“They have discussed with them Hamas’ response and they promised to give them Israel’s response within days,” the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
Israel’s government made no immediate comment on the timing of its deliberations.
Hamas has dropped a key demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing an agreement. Instead, it said it would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout the six-week first phase, a Hamas source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.
A Palestinian official close to the peace efforts has said the proposal could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel and would end the offensive.