Hamas official says mulling 3-stage ceasefire deal: Reuters
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Reuters claimed a top official from the Hamas Resistance movement says ceasefire talks with the Israeli occupation are progressing with a new 3-stage deal being drawn up.
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People march during a protest in support of Palestinians and calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in downtown Madrid, Spain, January 27, 2024 (AP)
Reuters claimed it had in an exclusive interview in which a senior Hamas official revealed the details of a proposed ceasefire plan aimed at de-escalating the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
The proposal, outlined in three distinct stages, addresses the release of settlers, recruits, and the deceased.
According to the senior Hamas official cited by Reuters, the first stage of the proposed ceasefire involves the immediate release of settlers, including women, children, adults, and patients who were captured by the Palestinian Resistance during Operation al-Aqsa Flood.
Moving on to the second stage, the Hamas top official disclosed that the plan calls for the release of all male and female Israeli recruits also taken by the Palestinian Resistance during the operation.
The third and final stage of the proposed ceasefire is centered around the release of the bodies of those killed in action, most notably due to the indiscriminate Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which killed dozens of its own setters.
Notably, the senior Hamas leader emphasized that military operations on both sides would come to a halt during each of the three stages.
When questioned about the specific number of prisoners held by the Israeli occupation requested to be released from the Palestinian side, the Hamas leader stated that no figure had been specified. Instead, the matter is left to the negotiation process.
The media advisor to the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Taher El-Nounou, said Monday that a ceasefire in Gaza is the fundamental prerequisite for any subsequent step.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen, El-Nounou indicated that a set of proposals was presented to Hamas, affirming that no agreement has been reached so far.
The Hamas official said that a ceasefire would be followed by a prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, pointing out that the main goal is to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, while other details can be discussed afterward.
He mentioned that what is needed is a complete ceasefire and not a temporary truce, adding that the Israeli occupation is the side hindering an agreement, for reasons related to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Moreover, the head of the Resistance movement, Ismail Haniyeh, announced earlier on Tuesday that Hamas received a proposal for a ceasefire, after talks in Paris, and that they would be looking into it.
Haniyeh also affirmed that he will visit Cairo for discussions on the Paris proposal for a ceasefire, adding that the movement was open to all ideas that could achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
NBC News reported that the agreement includes the release of the remaining American and Israeli captives in Gaza on several stages, starting with women and children, accompanied by a gradual cessation of fighting and the delivery of aid to the Strip, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons.
According to the news website, a draft of the agreement is being presented to Hamas, while the Palestinian Resistance movement insists on an immediate and permanent ceasefire before discussing any prisoner exchange.
