Mediators in indirect talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have handed over another proposal to the Palestinian movement Hamas in order to resume consultations, Al-Hadath TV reported.
According to its sources, the new initiative was handed over to the radicals by representatives of Egypt and Qatar in the presence of leaders of some Palestinian factions. The latter, the TV channel notes, have asked Hamas to prepare a response to the proposal “in the next hours”. A meeting of mediators with the participation of Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani is expected to be held in the Egyptian city of El Alamein on Monday, Al-Hadath sources added.
The newspaper “Asharq Al-Awsat“ reported earlier, citing its sources, that Hamas is ready to accept the latest proposal to end the the Gaza Strip, which provides for a 60-day ceasefire, the relocation of Israeli forces and the release of 10 hostages held in the enclave. According to the sources, after informing the mediators of its new position, the movement “withdrew from the amendments it had made regarding the withdrawal of troops, as well as from some other issues and demands related to the release of Palestinian prisoners put forward by it and its military wing“. Thus, Hamas has completely handed over the initiative to Israel.
The sources emphasize that the movement took this position, in all likelihood, due to the need to stop Israel's plan to occupy Gaza and resettle its residents.
The negotiation process between Hamas and Israel was interrupted in Qatar in July. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the withdrawal of the delegation from Doha, where since July 6 talks on a settlement of the conflict in Gaza, in connection with the response of the radicals to the ceasefire proposal. The United States also decided to recall the negotiators from Doha “after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza“. For its part, the Palestinian radicals expressed disagreement with this assessment of the special envoy of the US President, Stephen Witkoff, and announced that other mediators had “approved the response provided and called it constructive“.