The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas announced that it accepted a six-week ceasefire negotiated with Egypt and Qatar. According to reports from Qatari media Al Jazeera and confirmed by agencies, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries that he agreed to the ceasefire. However, it remains unclear whether the ceasefire conditions align with those proposed by Israel.
The White House has not yet confirmed this information. During a State Department press conference, a spokesperson declined to comment on this latest news. The statement comes from Ismail Haniyeh, who is outside Gaza, and not from Yahya Sinwar, a leader inside the Strip.
However, there is nothing from Israel to indicate that the proposed ceasefire with Hamas contemplates Israel's proposed conditions. Several Israeli government sources cited by the Hebrew press told public television channels that Hamas' announcement is unilateral and does not involve Israel.
According to The Times of Israel, an Israeli official told Reuters that Hamas' announcement appears to be a tactic aimed at portraying Israel as the party unwilling to reach an agreement. Al Jazeera journalists later reported that Hamas had indeed approved a "modified Egyptian" document, and not the Israeli proposal.
The terrorist group told their media outlets that "Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, spoke by telephone with Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abas Kamel and informed them of Hamas' approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement."
Hostilities on Sunday and Monday
Haniyeh's statement comes after it was previously believed that negotiations for a ceasefire had crumbled following recent events in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, the terrorist organization, launched a barrage of rockets from southern Gaza towards the military and border post of Kerem Shalom, resulting in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.
As a result, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing, which had been open for humanitarian aid. The attack further motivated Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the Israeli War Cabinet to reaffirm their intention to conduct a ground military operation in the Rafah enclave.
On Monday morning, Hamas launched another rocket attack targeting Israeli military facilities in the Netzarim corridor. The IDF initiated its operations to evacuate civilians from the area, despite opposition from the United Nations and its agencies present in Gaza.
While there is uncertainty about the authenticity of Hamas' announcement, with Israeli sources suggesting that it could be a ruse by the terrorist group, several reports indicate that the Palestinians in Gaza celebrated Haniyeh's statement. Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, several groups of protesters spontaneously took to the streets urging the Israeli government to end hostilities in the Strip.
החסימה באיילון של משפחות החטופים
"לעולם לא עוד"
קרדיט: @stidio.tulip
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קריאות של משפחות חטופים וקבוצות מחאה לצאת הערב מ 20:30 לרחובות בשער בגין בקריה ובצמתים נוספים בארץ pic.twitter.com/OZkrJKSz4k— Or-ly Barlev 🎗 אור-לי ברלב (@orlybarlev) May 6, 2024
*This is a developing news story.
