Israel stepped up attacks on Monday in the southern city of Rafah hours after Hamas said it would accept the terms of a cease-fire plan drawn from a proposal by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The Israeli prime minister’s office stated that while the new proposal failed to meet Israel’s demands, the country would still send a working-level delegation to talks in hopes of reaching an acceptable deal. Qatar also announced that it would send a delegation for the talks in Cairo.
As Israeli forces carried out strikes in eastern Rafah, the prime minister’s office revealed that the war cabinet had decided unanimously to continue with military actions in the city to exert pressure on Hamas. The decision aimed to advance all of Israel’s war aims, including freeing hostages.
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that the proposal Hamas was willing to accept included three phases, each lasting 42 days, with the main goal being a permanent cease-fire. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political wing, first announced Hamas’s new position in a post on the group’s Telegram channel. His statement came after Israel ordered evacuations in part of Rafah and a day after Hamas fired rockets near the Kerem Shalom crossing, killing four soldiers.
Haniyeh informed the Qatari prime minister and the chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service that Hamas had accepted “their proposal.” The United States confirmed that Hamas had issued a response and was reviewing it with partners in the region.
Negotiations hit an impasse on Sunday, leading Hamas negotiators to leave Cairo after failing to reach an agreement with mediators on Israel’s most recent offer. The main obstacle in the talks has been the length of the cease-fire, with Hamas pushing for a permanent solution and Israel seeking a temporary halt in fighting for the exchange of hostages.
Despite some concessions from Israel in its latest proposal, including the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and a reduction in the number of hostages to be freed initially, Israeli forces will continue operating in Gaza. The Israeli military ordered the evacuation of over 100,000 Palestinians from parts of Rafah, raising concerns for the safety of the 1.4 million people sheltering there.
The situation remains tense as both sides navigate the delicate negotiations for a cease-fire agreement. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
