Palestinian group Hamas says it is studying new proposals for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, but claims it is seeking an agreement to end the Israeli war.
Hamas said in a statement Wednesday that it had received the proposal from the mediators and was back at the negotiation table and was in discussions to “fill the gap” to try to reach the ceasefire agreement.
The group said it aims to reach an agreement to end the Gaza War and ensure Israeli military withdrawal from the enclave.
The announcement comes a day after President Donald Trump said Israeli President agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the contract before the terms worsen. Trump is increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas, calling for an agreement in which groups to release Israeli prisoners of war held in Gaza will mediate a ceasefire.
Trump said 60 days will be used to work towards the end of the war. Something that says Israel will not accept until Hamas is defeated. Trump is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week.
However, Hamas’ announcement highlighted the demand that the war would end, raising questions about whether the latest offer could be realized in an actual suspension of combat.
Shortly after Hamas’ statement, Netanyahu said in postwar Gaza “There is no Hamas.”
Israeli officials have warned that if negotiations for a ceasefire do not move forward anytime soon, the country’s military will escalate operations in Gaza, according to a US-based Axios news outlet.
“We’re going to do what we did to Gaza and Rafa to Gaza and Central Camp. Everything will turn into dust,” the outlet quoted as saying by a senior Israeli official. “That’s not our preferred option, but if there’s no movement towards hostage trade, there’s no other option.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saa said the opportunity to release prisoners of war held in Gaza should not be overlooked, adding that there is much support from both the Cabinet and the public about the proposal to aid the US.
However, the proposal has not been publicly supported by National Security Ministers Itamar Ben Gwil and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported from Gaza city, saying Palestinians were distrustful of Trump and were disappointed several times by the ceasefire that did not come to fruition.
“There are headlines talking about the potential agreement and the end of genocide, but what we see on earth tells a different story: an average of 100-120 Palestinians are killed every day,” he said.
“So for a lot of people, there is a lot of hypocrisy going on, and talking about ceasefires, you need to create conditions that lead to ceasefires rather than escalation.
The hospital director was killed
Israeli forces killed at least 78 people in Gaza on Wednesday, according to Palestinian health officials. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead.
Among the victims was Dr. Marwan Al Sultan, director of an Indonesian hospital. According to an Al Jazeera Arabic colleague, he was killed in an Israeli strike during a home construction in the southwestern part of Gaza city.
His wife and children were also killed in the attack.
Al-Sultan is an important source of Gaza and reports on the situation of the Palestinians north of the besieged enclave. He repeatedly called on the international community to seek the safety of medical teams, including when Israeli forces attacked a hospital in Indonesia, the largest medical facility in the northern part of Gaza city.
Israel’s war with Gaza killed at least 56,647 people and injured 134,105 people, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken prisoner.
The war abandoned coastal Palestinian territory, and much of the cityscape was flattened in combat. Over 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have been evacuated, often multiple times. The war caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands into a state of hunger.
