Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s response to an Israeli truce proposal in the Gaza Strip calls for a “complete halt” to Israeli “aggression” in the Palestinian territory, the 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,” the militants said in a joint statement, adding they were ready “to engage positively to reach an agreement that ends this war”. The…
Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s response to an Israeli truce proposal in the Gaza Strip calls for a “complete halt” to Israeli “aggression” in the Palestinian territory, the 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,” the militants said in a joint statement, adding they were ready “to engage positively to reach an agreement that ends this war”.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been engaged in months of behind-the-scenes negotiations over details for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The UN Security Council on Monday approved a US-drafted resolution for a Gaza ceasefire plan, first outlined by US President Joe Biden last month, for a six-week truce and hostage exchange he said was offered by Israel.
Qatar and Egypt announced late on Tuesday they had received a response from the Palestinian groups to the framework and confirmed their “joint mediation efforts with the United States of America will continue until an agreement is reached”.
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A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP Hamas’s response contained amendments to the proposed framework.
“The response contained amendments to the Israeli proposal, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip,” the source said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of negotiations.
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