Dynamite News Israel Offers 45-Day Ceasefire, But Hamas Calls Disarmament a ‘Red Line'
Hamas Rejects Israel’s Demand to Surrender Weapons. Read more at Dynamite News
New Delhi: Israel has offered a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, claimed the Palestinian militant group, Hamas.
However, a senior Hamas official stated that the Israeli ceasefire proposal crosses a red line because one of the demands is that Palestinian militants must disarm before any permanent end to the Gaza war, reports Dynamite News correspondent.
According to a Hamas official, Egyptian mediators relayed an Israeli proposal that includes: the release of half the hostages in the first week of the agreement, an extension of the truce for at least 45 days, and the entry of humanitarian aid.
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The proposal also requires the disarmament of Hamas and all Palestinian armed factions in Gaza as a condition for a permanent end to the war. Hamas said it is studying the truce proposal and will submit its response soon.
Israel shared the new ceasefire proposal with Egypt after talks in Cairo ended without a breakthrough. Hamas has informed mediators that it is willing to accept any proposal that includes: a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the entry of aid.
However, the group insists that surrendering its weapons is a "red line" and non-negotiable. Hamas negotiators are now heading to Qatar, where the main mediation talks with Israel have been held.
During its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Hamas took 253 hostages, triggering the war. About 130 hostages remain in Gaza, including 34 whom Israel claims have died.
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Israel resumed military operations in Gaza in March after the collapse of a week-long ceasefire, citing disagreements over the next phase.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced again, with Israel blocking humanitarian aid since the breakdown of the truce.
The UN warns that Gaza is facing its worst humanitarian crisis since the war began, with no aid entering for weeks and conditions deteriorating rapidly.
In other developments, French President Emmanuel Macron urged reforms in the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of a plan for the West Bank-based body to govern postwar Gaza instead of Hamas.