Situation at a glance - Israel examines new Hamas proposal for hostage deal
In intense negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israel, according to its own statements, is examining a new proposal from the Islamist Hamas. The mediating countries, the USA, Qatar, and Egypt, have presented a compromise draft from the terrorist organization to the Israeli negotiating team, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday. Israel will now examine the proposal and then convey its response to the mediators.
The Hamas stated that they are exchanging "some ideas" with the mediators to achieve an end to the war in the sealed coastal strip. The content of the Hamas proposal and how it differs from the previously discussed plan was initially unknown.
"Our goal is to end the war and achieve a full withdrawal (of Israeli forces) from the Gaza Strip," quoted the newspaper "The Times of Israel" from a statement by the Islamists. The Hamas is flexible in its demands, while Israel is trying to "deceive and evade."
Indirect negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas have been ongoing for months, without success. The three-phased plan proposed by US President Joe Biden in late May for a ceasefire also failed to bring a breakthrough.
The plan initially called for a temporary truce during which female, elderly, and sick Israeli hostages would be released. In return, Palestinian prisoners would be freed in Israel. In the next phase, the fighting would have been permanently halted, and the remaining hostages would have been freed. In the final phase, according to the plan, the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip would have begun.
Israel: War ends only when Hamas is destroyed
The UN Security Council supported the proposal and adopted a corresponding resolution. However, the Hamas demanded a series of changes. The Islamists, for example, demanded a permanent ceasefire in the first step, which Israel's government rejected. They have consistently emphasized that the war will only end when Israel has achieved all its goals, including the destruction of Hamas and the release of all hostages.
Terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups attacked Southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages into the Gaza Strip. This unprecedented massacre was the trigger for the Gaza War, during which, according to hardly verifiable Palestinian reports, tens of thousands of people were killed. In the sealed coastal strip, over 120 hostages are still believed to be missing, many of whom may no longer be alive.
"I meet almost daily relatives of the hostages. I hear their concerns, their fear that they and their loved ones could be forgotten, and I tell them: We never forget. The people of Israel never forget. The entire nation wants their return and a clear majority supports a hostage deal. It is the state's duty to bring them back." said Israeli President Isaac Herzog yesterday. "The nation as a whole is grieving and supports a hostage deal with a clear majority. It is the state's duty to bring them back."
Belongers of the abducted hostages in the Gaza Strip accuse the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu of not pushing indirect negotiations with Hamas forcefully enough. They assume that the prime minister is considering the views of his ultra-religious and far-right coalition partners, who strictly oppose any dialogue with Islamists.
- The proposed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip involves examining a new idea from Hamas, a known Islamist group, according to Israel's negotiating team.
- The Palestinian territories, specifically the Gaza Strip, have been experiencing intense conflicts, with these recent negotiations aiming for a ceasefire.
- The Times of Israel reported that Hamas' goal is to end the war and achieve a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
- The negotiating team, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is reviewing the compromise draft presented by the USA, Qatar, and Egypt, which includes a proposal from Hamas.
- In the Middle East, the Gaza War has been a significant conflict, sparked by terrorist attacks from Hamas and other extremist groups, resulting in the seizure of hostages.
- Egypt, along with the USA and Qatar, are serving as mediators in the current negotiations, aiming to secure a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
- Despite initial difficulties, the USA proposed a three-phased plan for a ceasefire, but it failed to bring about a resolution, leaving hundreds of hostages still missing in the Gaza Strip.
- Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under pressure from the relatives of the missing hostages, who accuse him of not pushing for indirect negotiations with Hamas forcefully enough due to political constraints.
