An official of the Islamist group Hamas announced on Saturday that the group is considering Israel’s counter-proposal for a possible cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas will consider the proposal and submit a response, said Khalil al-Haya, the group’s deputy head of political affairs in Gaza.
He said that the Israeli side responded to the “Hamas” proposal, which the group submitted to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13.
Talks aimed at freeing the hostages and securing a ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory have been deadlocked for months.
Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for a major ground offensive in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah.
The US portal “Axios” reported on Friday, citing two high-ranking Israeli officials, that Israel had warned Egypt that this would be the “last chance” to reach an agreement before launching the Rafah operations.
Axios and Israeli media reported that Hamas and Israel differed on the scope of the deal, including how many hostages could be released and how long the truce could last. Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire, which Israel rejects.
Israel’s destruction of Palestine. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
