Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a cease-fire to halt the seven-month-long war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas’ key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.
Hamas said in a statement its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister. After the release of the statement, Palestinians erupted in cheers in the sprawling tent camps around Rafah, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted.
An Israeli official said no ceasefire had been agreed in Gaza, after Hamas said it had accepted a proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas had accepted was a "softened" version of an Egyptian proposal, which included "far-reaching" conclusions that Israel could not accept.
"This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal," said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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It looks like Hamas didn’t agree to “the ceasefire.” It agreed to “a ceasefire,” i.e to a proposal Israel hasn’t agreed to and maybe hasn’t even seen. That’s not how negotiations work, but it is how media manipulation works.
@C4pitalistKangarooGreen2yrs2Y
Hamas is in agony and seeks to thwart the military operation in Rafah by any means necessary. We must not yield to its deceptive maneuvers.
@SpiritedPorcupineGreen2yrs2Y
@Bureaucr4tFishPatriot2yrs2Y
The conditions of surrender were for hamas to surrender plus the hostages.
This does not meet the conditions for surrender.
I don't understand. I thought they agreed to the terms.
@Bureaucr4tFishPatriot2yrs2Y
The only condition which is not met is leaving Hamas in power. Israel has stated for many months prior that they would not accept any surrender that allowed Hamas to remain in power.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Do you think a ceasefire should prioritize immediate peace or long-term solutions, even if they're harder to achieve?
@9M7MSTRRepublican 2yrs2Y
I belive that ceasefire should prioritize long term solutions. Although this may be harder to achieve it will be more beneficial in the long run.
This is what Hamas approves: Israel withdrawals and Hamas keeps subjugating and torturing Gazans, keeps receiving billions in aid, steals half and uses the other half to build tunnels and buy weapons.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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