Hamas rejects ceasefire proposal, Israel says

Hamas rejected a ceasefire proposal put forward by President Joe Biden on Tuesday, Israeli officials told media.

Axios and the Israel Times both reported that Israeli officials told them that Hamas had rejected the terms of the proposal, which calls for a gradual agreement that would see Hamas release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a permanent end to the conflict.

Reuters reported that the Egyptian and Qatari mediators received a response from Hamas to the proposal in which the terrorist group proposed a new timetable for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including Rafah.

Asked for the answer, a Hamas An official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters: “We reiterated our previous position. I think there are no big gaps. The ball is now in Israel’s court.”

Egyptian officials were not immediately available for further comment.

The Egyptian ministry said Doha and Cairo, along with the United States, would continue mediation efforts until an agreement is reached, adding that they would study the response and coordinate next steps with relevant parties. .

The Egyptian statement came shortly after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued a statement saying they were “ready to positively reach” an agreement to end the war in Gaza and said they were submitting their response to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

The United Nations Security Council on Monday backed Biden’s proposal.

Biden on Friday outlined what he called a “three-phase” Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would include negotiations for a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave as well as an exchange of certain Israeli hostages against Palestinian prisoners.