Gaza City

Advertisment

Hamas said on Monday (May 6) that it had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, hours after Israel announced a plan to evacuate 100,000 Palestinians from Rafah, hinting at starting its offensive after nearly seven months of war. 

Hamas did not share the terms of the truce formally, but a senior Hamas member Khalil al-Hayya said on Monday that the proposal includes a three-stage truce with the goal of a lasting ceasefire. Hayya divulged details to the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel, stating that each phase would last 42 days. 

According to him, the deal includes plans for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an exchange of hostages and prisoners. the deal would also guarantee the return of Palestinians displaced by the ongoing war, with the aim of a "permanent ceasefire". 

Advertisment

Also read: Israeli jets strike two Rafah areas ahead of ground invasion: Hamas 

Hamas's announcement came moments after the White House said that US President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

In a statement published on its official website, the militant group said, "Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas movement, conducted a telephone call with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian intelligence minister, Mr Abbas Kamel, and informed them of Hamas's approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement." 

Advertisment

After the announcement, a senior Hamas official said that Israel must decide whether it accepts or "obstructs" a truce in Gaza. While speaking to the news agency AFP on condition of anonymity, the official said, "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." 

Also read: Putin’s nuclear drills orders response to ‘unprecedented’ comments from West: Kremlin 

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that Israeli officials have warned against accepting the announcement made by the Palestine-based militant group. Israel cautioned that the offer Hamas says it accepted is not the one it agreed to. 

Officials told networks Kan, 12 and 13 that the terms Hamas accepted are different to what Israel agreed to. The offer Hamas has accepted is apparently made unilaterally by Egypt. It is not being taken seriously in Jerusalem before the details are clarified, the networks mentioned. 

A senior Israeli official spoke to AFP, reiterating that it was not the "framework" Israel had previously agreed to, but he mentioned that the government was studying the proposal. "We have received the proposal and are reviewing it. It is not the framework that was agreed upon. We are examining it," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. 

Celebrations were seen in the streets of Gaza after Hamas claimed to accept a ceasefire agreement. 

Watch this report: 

×

Rafah evacuation order 

Despite Hamas saying it had approved the truce proposal, Israel's army late Monday reiterated its call for evacuations in Rafah. "We also call on residents this evening to evacuate," military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a broadcast address after the Hamas announcement. 

Hagari added that "airforce aircraft targeted more than 50 terror targets in the Rafah area" throughout the day Monday. 

Fears are also looming over a possible invasion of Rafah, where more than one million people have sought refuge from months of Israeli bombardment, which will be catastrophic. 

Meanwhile, the UN rights chief said Monday that Israel's order for Palestinians to evacuate from eastern Rafah in Gaza is "inhumane" and warned that the offensive would push suffering and destruction beyond already "unbearable" levels. 

Volker Turk further said forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to areas with almost no access to aid for survival was "inconceivable". 

Biden-Netanyahu talks 

The White House also said that Biden "reiterated his clear position" to Netanyahu after Israel defied US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 

It added that Netanyahu, meanwhile, "agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need". 

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. 

(With inputs from agencies)