A senior Hamas source told Al Jazeera on Monday evening that the terror group has informed Qatari and Egyptian negotiators that it agrees to their proposal for a ceasefire deal.
Shortly later, the terror group issued an official proclamation: “Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of the political bureau of Hamas, called the Prime Minister of Qatar and the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence and informed them that Hamas accepts their proposal for a ceasefire.”
A senior Hamas official tells AFP: “After Hamas agreed to the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it.”
The news came hours after Israel dropped thousands of leaflets over Rafah, telling residents to evacuate ahead of what appeared to be an incursion.
Moments after the news, thousands of local residents took to the streets to celebrate the news.
Meanwhile, Channel 12 is quoting Israeli officials as saying that “this is not the same proposal” for a deal that Israel and Egypt agreed upon 10 days ago, and that served as the basis for the indirect negotiations since then. “All kinds of clauses” have been inserted.
Earlier, a Hamas source said that the terror group decided to freeze the hostage deal negotiations and postpone the return of its delegation to Cairo.
On Monday morning, a senior Egyptian official told Arabic-language media outlets that the Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom Crossing on Sunday has stymied hostage release talks.
Four IDF soldiers were killed in the attack and ten soldiers were wounded.
The source said that Egypt is engaging in efforts to overcome the hurdle in the negotiations.
Kan News reported that Israel informed Egypt ahead of the start of the evacuation of Gazan civilians from parts of Rafah on Monday morning.
Israeli security officials told Egypt that the evacuation is taking place in the eastern neighborhood of the city, close to the Israeli border, and that the military operation will be a limited one.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
There is either so much fake news and miscommunication going around, or Smelly Haniyah did not actually think Israel was seriously going to enter Rafah, or after Israel said “Apple peaches pumpkin pie, if your not ready holler I” and Hamas now hollers I.
Regardless, I don’t know what is real, fake, good, or bad news anymore.
Bibi:- Grab this deal NOW & get every hostage liberated RIGHT NOW. After hostages are returned, pound all you wish.
@147 sadly i’m sure that’s exactly what will happen. but coming from you—i thought your gedoley hador smoritch & gvir—condemn it
Lets not forget what was the result of the Shalit deal: Freed terrorists continued to murder Jews; Freed terrorists planned and executed the Simchos Torah massacre; Hamas got encouraged to take hostages to free more terrorists – you can expect the same results from any “deal”! – The hostages we want to become free the sooner the better, have only been taken because of the Shalit deal – please don’t make the same mistake again!
“Bibi:- Grab this deal NOW & get every hostage liberated RIGHT NOW. After hostages are returned, pound all you wish.”
The problem with taking that route is that Hamas will wait until the 42nd day to release a handful, they will not fulfill their end of the deal because they are terrorists, over and above that there is likely only a dozen living hostages left. They have no ammo to make a deal, thats why the Red Cross or anyone else is allowed to see even a single hostage.
Hamas is Hamas, at this point the IDF needs to ignore the west and finish what Hamas started.