Negotiations for a ceasefire deal in Gaza may renew, even as Israel continues preparations for a military operation to take over Gaza City, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
Tamim Khallaf, spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, stated that “the ball is now in Israel’s court” following an Egyptian-Qatari proposal, and that the only thing still necessary for an agreement is “political will from Israel.”
The Hamas terror organization claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval of a plan to capture Gaza after Hamas had accepted the mediators’ proposal demonstrates his determination to sabotage an agreement.
According to Hamas, the terror group agreed to a partial deal and expressed willingness for a broader arrangement, while Israel rejected all proposed solutions.
Hamas also emphasized that a ceasefire agreement is the only path to securing the hostages’ release and warned that Netanyahu fully responsible for their fate. The group also called for continued domestic and international pressure to end what it described as the “extermination and starvation” of the “Palestinian people.”
Israel has continuously stressed that it will only accept an agreement to free all of the 50 hostages still held captive in Gaza. However, the current proposal would free only ten living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages, in exchange for 140 terrorists sentenced to life-sentences and another 60 sentenced to over 15 years in prison would be released from Israeli prisons. In addition, for every hostage’s body, Israel would hand over 10 bodies of terrorists.