Hamas unveils amendments to new ceasefire proposal
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A Palestinian official involved in internationally mediated peace efforts indicated that if embraced by "Israel", the proposal could pave the way for a framework agreement to end the war.
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Palestinians help a wounded man after Israeli strikes in al-Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, on June 8, 2024. (AP)
Hamas accepted a US proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli captives, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source told Reuters on Saturday.
The Palestinian Resistance group withdrew its demand for "Israel" to commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement. Instead, it will allow negotiations to work toward this goal during an initial six-week phase, as reported to Reuters by an anonymous source due to the private nature of the talks.
A Palestinian official involved in internationally mediated peace efforts indicated that if embraced by "Israel", the proposal could pave the way for a framework agreement to end the nine-month Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
The war has claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
According to the Hamas source, the proposal includes provisions for international mediators to guarantee a temporary ceasefire, facilitate aid delivery, and oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops, contingent on the progress of indirect talks to implement the agreement's second phase.
Read next: Biden administration proposes new language for ceasefire proposal
'Israel' currently examining response
Two days ago, the Mossad announced that mediators Qatar and Egypt conveyed Hamas' updated response to the proposed captive and ceasefire deal to the Israeli negotiation team, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reported on June 4th, adding that "Israel" was currently examining the response and would provide its answer to the mediators soon.
A senior Israeli official stated that the response from Hamas was constructive and could potentially pave the way for detailed negotiations on the remaining issues, Ravid added.
According to the Israeli journalist citing the official, although there has been important progress, significant challenges remain. He further noted that any detailed negotiations would be tough and lengthy, potentially taking several weeks to reach an agreement.
A day before that, Qatar sent new potential amendments to Hamas regarding the proposed hostage deal, according to senior officials from different countries involved in the negotiations, the New York Times reported.
Despite these efforts, major obstacles remain: Hamas demands an end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, while the Israeli occupation has pledged to continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed and seeks to control security in Gaza post-war.
