Hamas preemptively rejected the terms of an Israeli proposal for a hostage-ceasefire deal on Thursday night, in a move a senior Israeli official described as “bizarre” since Hamas had not yet seen the proposal.

The proposal, which was expected to be sent to Hamas in the coming hours, aims to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a ceasefire and other concessions. However, Hamas reportedly objected to Israel’s demand to screen Palestinians returning to the north of the Gaza Strip and the presence of Israeli military control over the Philadelphi Corridor.

Families of American-Israeli hostages who met with US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday were told that Israel would submit an updated deal proposal to Hamas within days. The proposal is part of a three-stage deal framework announced by President Biden in May.

The negotiations have been facilitated by Arab intermediaries, and Egypt’s foreign ministry has been involved in the talks. However, the issue of Israeli military control over the Philadelphi Corridor has emerged as a sticking point, with Egyptian sources citing it as a major obstacle.

The Israeli government has agreed to allow civilians to return home but seeks to prevent Hamas fighters from returning with them. Prime Minister Netanyahu has listed this as a “nonnegotiable” demand. The US has been leading trilateral discussions with Israel and Egypt about the creation of an underground wall along the corridor and the installation of a surveillance system to thwart weapons smuggling into Gaza.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)