Hamas, Islamic Jihad express 'readiness to positively' reach a deal to end months-long Israel-Gaza war
A response by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to an Israeli proposal for a truce in Gaza and and hostage exchange calls for a "complete halt" to Gaza "aggression", the Palestinian groups said Tuesday. "The response prioritises the interests of our Palestinian people and emphasises the necessity of a complete halt to the ongoing aggression on Gaza. We are ready to engage positively to reach an agreement that ends this war," the resistance movements said in a joint statement.
- Middle East
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 10:35 | 11 June 2024
- Modified Date: 10:37 | 11 June 2024
Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad expressed "readiness to positively" reach a deal to end the war in Gaza in a joint statement on Tuesday.
They added that they submitted their response to the proposed Gaza ceasefire deal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Two senior Hamas officials said Tuesday the Palestinian resistance movement had given its response to an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza to mediators Egypt and Qatar.
"Hamas has officially delivered its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators regarding the Israeli proposal for a ceasefire announced by the American President (Joe Biden)", a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the matter. Another senior Hamas official confirmed that the response had been delivered.
Egypt and Qatar received a response from Hamas and Palestinian groups regarding a recent cease-fire and hostage swap proposal, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday evening.
A ministry statement said mediators will study the response and coordinate with the relevant parties regarding the next steps.
"Egypt and Qatar confirm that their joint mediation efforts with the US will continue until an agreement is reached," it added.
On Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution supporting a Gaza cease-fire proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden.
On May 31, Biden said that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Nearly 37,200 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 84,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.