Hamas rejects the latest Israeli proposal to reach an agreement and end the war
Hamas rejected an Israeli offer of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, under which the Palestinian movement would have been forced to disarm. According to the BBC, Israel is demanding the release of half of the remaining live hostages in exchange for a six-week truce and the disarmament of Hamas.
In the roller-coaster of indirect negotiations with Israel, Hamas has rejected Egypt's latest Israeli proposal for a six-week ceasefire and the release of the hostages, including a demand for their disarmament. This was revealed to the BBC by a "high-level Palestinian source" regarding the Islamist group's position, which maintains its demand for an Israeli commitment to a definitive cessation of the offensive in the Gaza Strip.
"The Israeli proposal, conveyed to the movement through Egypt, explicitly called for Hamas's disarmament without any Israeli commitment to end the war or withdraw from Gaza. Therefore, Hamas rejected the offer outright," a Hamas official said.
Israel has repeatedly demanded that Hamas relinquish civil and security control of Gaza, while the Islamist group insists that any ceasefire agreement must end the war and achieve a full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave. In its latest proposal, Israel agrees to a six-week ceasefire, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including 120 serving life sentences for attacks, and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip (suspended at the end of the first phase of the truce on March 2) if Hamas hands over 10 live hostages and 16 dead ones. Of the 251 hostages kidnapped in the jihadist attack of October 7, 2023, which triggered the massive military offensive in the devastated Palestinian enclave, 59 remain held by Hamas. Israel estimates that 24 hostages remain alive.
Hamas has long rejected talk of disarmament, although its officials have expressed a willingness to cede control of the Strip to a transitional body of independent technocrats, as envisioned in Egypt's post-war reconstruction plan for Gaza, unveiled last month.
Israel and Hamas signed a phased ceasefire agreement in January, which collapsed after its first phase.
Hamas wanted to move to the second phase, as stipulated in the agreement, but Israel attempted to restructure the terms to release more hostages without committing to a permanent end to the war, as envisaged in the second phase. Following Hamas's refusal, Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long refused to end the war before Hamas's military and governing capabilities are dismantled.
Unacceptable
"The demand for disarmament is unacceptable. This is not just one red line, but a million red lines," retorted Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, who, speaking to the Qatari network Al Jazeera, added: "As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue, and the weapons will remain in the hands of the resistance to defend our people and our rights."
During a visit to northern Gaza on Tuesday, Netanyahu praised his soldiers, stating that "they are doing an excellent job here in the Gaza Strip. They are attacking the enemy, and Hamas will receive more and more blows."
"We insist that you release our hostages and achieve all our war aims," Netanyahu added, as written demands from reservists and former soldiers from various units continue to grow, calling for the return of all hostages, even if it means an immediate ceasefire.