A time, a release of hostages seemed close to. Just like a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. But the hopes were showered on Saturday evening when Hamas gave its response to the American proposal. If the Palestinian Islamist movement accepted part of the terms, it wanted to modify some. For Washington, this new offer is “unacceptable”.
According to sources close to negotiations, the American project relates to A 60 -day truce that can be extended to 70and the Hamas delivery of five living hostages and nine dead in exchanges from the release of Palestinian prisoners during the first week, and a second exchange on the same number of living and dead hostages during the second week. In exchange, Israel must hand over Palestinian prisoners and intensify access to humanitarian aid.
Several blocking points
A source in Hamas close to the negotiations said on Saturday evening that the movement’s response was “positive” but insisted on “the guarantee of a permanent ceasefire and a total withdrawal of Israel” from the Gaza Strip.
After CNNseveral points block, in the amended version given by the Islamist movement to the mediators. First, the duration of the ceasefire, which Hamas wishes to lengthen beyond 60 days. The question of Humanitarian aid also get stuck. The movement wants the distribution to be again provided by the United Nationswhile since the end of the blockade has been The newly created NGO Humanitarian Foundation of Gaza (GHF)supported by Israel and the United States, which is responsible for it. And finally the Israeli army positions in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian movement wants it to take up those which were its on March 2 – during the fragile truce of two months.
Hamas also demands negotiations to definitively end the war. On May 19, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said he was open to an agreement including the end of the military offensive, but he had added that he should include the “exile” of Hamas and the “disarmament” of the Gaza Strip, requirements hitherto rejected publicly by the Palestinian movement which took power in Gaza in 2007.
The text proposed by the United States does not contain any warranty for the final end of the fighting, reports CNN, but simply the assurance that Washington undertakes that “good faith negotiations will continue to reach an agreement”.
For Steve Witkoff, the American emissary, Hamas’ response “is only making us go back”. For him, the Islamist movement “should accept the proposal that we presented as a basis for talks, which we can start next week. ”
“The movement is ready to immediately start a cycle of indirect negotiations in order to reach an agreement on discord points,” Hamas said on Sunday evening in a statement, after Qatari and Egyptian mediators announced to intensify their efforts in favor of a truce.
Of the 251 people kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 in Israel, 57 are still retained in the Gaza Strip, of which at least 34 died, according to the Israeli authorities. At war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the deadly attack, Israel faces growing international pressure To end the conflict. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic in the Palestinian territory, where a blockade of more than two months, partially relaxed last week, led to serious shortages of food, drugs and other basic necessities.
